EARLY voting for the gubernatorial runoff election begins today, Friday, Nov. 18.
The Republican tandem of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and his running mate Senate Floor Leader Vinnie F. Sablan topped the gubernatorial race on Election Day, Nov. 8, garnering 5,728 votes, while the Independent team of Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and running mate Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang finished second with 4,890 votes.
Because neither obtained a majority of the votes cast, the two teams will face each other in a gubernatorial runoff.
Democratic Reps. Christina “Tina” Sablan and Leila Staffler, who finished third in the gubernatorial race with 4,132 votes, have endorsed the Independent ticket.
The polling places are the Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center on Saipan, the Department of Public Safety-Boating Safety on Tinian, and the Department of Public Safety on Rota.
Specimen ballots are posted at each polling place.
The last day for early voting will be on Thursday, Nov. 24, while the runoff election will be on Friday, Nov. 25.
CEC was mandated to send out absentee ballots by Tuesday, Nov. 15. The last day to receive absentee ballot applications over the counter was Thursday, Nov. 17. Absentee requests via electronic mail were not accepted.
Apart from those who were deemed ineligible by CEC to vote in the CNMI election, all voters who requested an absentee ballot during the general election will automatically receive a runoff absentee ballot.
Absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 25. The last day that CEC will receive runoff election absentee ballots will be on Friday, Dec. 9.
As of Sept. 14, 2022, there were 19,275 registered CNMI voters.
The CEC ordered the same number of ballots it procured for the general election, which is 15% more than the number of registered voters.
To view the specimen ballots online and for more information, visit https://www.votecnmi.gov.mp/run-off-election-information/.
