CEC Chairwoman Frances M. Sablan yesterday informed all the candidates that the eight-member commission will follow Public Law 15-7, which mandates that the candidates’ names are printed according to the offices sought, immediately followed by their party affiliation.
“This year’s ballot will be organized by race or offices wherein the names of candidates for a particular office or offices shall be placed together identified as candidates for a particular office and the name of the candidate’s political party or independent candidacy shall be placed immediately under the candidate’s name on the ballot,” Sablan said.
This Friday, the commission will administer the drawing of numbers for each candidate’s position on the ballot.
“Each candidate has the option of drawing their own number that corresponds to their placement on the ballot under the respective office they are campaigning for, or having a representative do this for them, i.e. a representative of their political party,” she said.
Candidates for governors, lt. governors, mayors and senators must draw their numbers at 9 a.m. this Friday.
House of Representatives candidates will have their turn at 10 a.m.
At 11 a.m., those seeking seats for the Board of Education and the municipal councils must pick their numbers.
The commission earlier adopted an emergency amendment to CEC regulations to be able to use the columnar ballot format, which lists candidates according to their political party affiliations, with Independent candidates getting the back page.
Independent Rep. Tina Sablan, a senatorial candidate, said she was told by CEC Executive Director Robert A. Guerrero that “the…rationale…was to make it easier and less confusing for elderly voters and ‘less literate’ voters to vote straight down party lines if they wish. The [CEC] executive director further said that voters who are ‘smart enough’ to not vote straight down party lines “should be smart enough to turn the page.”
She said these comments showed “an alarming and wholly inappropriate bias by the CEC in favor of political parties, and against Independent candidates.”
More than 100 candidates are vying for 43 elected positions this Nov. 7 general elections.
