Julita Villagomez, acting executive director of the Commonwealth Election Commission, said of the figure, 9,916 are from Saipan; 1,104 are from Tinian; and 1,347 are from Rota.
She said the commission will continue to register voters until Sept. 15.
Nine candidates are running for the congressional delegate seat: Public Lands mining division chief and TV talk show host John Oliver DLR. Gonzales, Ind.; former Judge Juan Tudela Lizama, Ind.; businessman Chong Won, Ind.; former Tinian Sen. David M. Cing, Democrat; on-leave Election Commission Executive Director Gregorio C. Sablan, Ind.; Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio, Republican; Sen. Luis P. Crisostimo, Ind.; high school teacher John Davis, Ind.; and Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council member Felipe Q. Atalig, Ind.
The Election Commission must certify their candidacies by Sept. 20 and designate polling places a month later.
Each registered candidate must submit a nominating petition signed by at least 200 signatures of voters.
The final and official delegate election results won’t be known until all absentee ballots are counted on Nov. 18.
The first elected CNMI delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives will be sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2009.
