And then there were two. Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, left, and Gov. Ralph DLG Torres.
FOR the third time in CNMI history, a gubernatorial runoff will be held between the two top vote-getters.
This time, Republican Gov. Ralph DLG Torres will face his former running mate, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios.
The Democratic candidate for governor, Rep. Tina Sablan, finished third, and said on Wednesday that she is supporting Palacios whose running mate is Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang.
The governor and his running mate, Senate Floor Leader Vinnie F. Sablan, finished first in the three-way gubernatorial race by garnering 5,726 votes, or 38.83% of the total votes cast.
Palacios-Apatang followed not too far behind with 4,890 votes or 33.16% of the total votes cast, while Rep. Sablan and her running mate Rep. Leila Staffler received 4,132 or 28.02% of the total votes cast.
According to the CNMI Constitution, “if no candidates receive more than one half of the total votes cast and counted for the offices of the governor and lieutenant governor, on the fourteenth day thereafter, a runoff election shall be held between the candidates for governor and the lieutenant governor receiving the highest and second highest number of votes cast and counted for those offices.”
The Commonwealth Election Commission has no later than 20 days after the Nov. 8 election day to certify its results.
In the two previous runoff elections (2009 and 2014), the incumbent governor won.
Endorsement
During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Rep. Sablan and Staffler endorsed the Palacios-Apatang ticket and encouraged their supporters to vote for the Independent tandem.
“Our immediate next task as citizens is to participate in the upcoming runoff election and make sure that there will not be another four years with Ralph Torres as governor,” Rep. Sablan said. “We have seen and suffered enough abuses of our trust in his administration.”
She said Palacios and Apatang are “the better choice,” and added that roughly 60% of voters “voted for change.”
“They can surely expect that we will hold them to the same standards of honesty, fairness, and accountability that Leila and I hold ourselves to,” she said, referring to Palacios and Apatang.
“We were the ticket running for real change, and on a platform of good governance. Now that we are not going to be in the runoff, the better option, from our perspective, is Arnold Palacios and David Apatang. We have a good relationship with the lieutenant governor and with the mayor. I’ve known both of them for a long time. I do have a lot of respect for their service. What is clear to Leila and me is that we simply cannot afford another four years of Ralph Torres. That is the choice that is before us, and the choice that we’re asking people to make [and] all of our supporters to make.”
She said the election “really highlights how important every vote is.”
“In this upcoming runoff, every vote — absolutely every vote — counts. So, for those who didn’t participate in the general election, please, please participate and cast your vote in the runoff,” she added.
This year’s gubernatorial election saw a 77.17% voter turnout, with 14,916 of the 19,329 registered voters casting their ballots.
Absentee votes
The tabulation of the ballots at the multi-purpose center started Tuesday evening and dragged on until past 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
The CEC had yet to explain the cause of the unprecedented delay.
As absentee ballots were finally tabulated Wednesday afternoon, CEC Board Chair Jesus I. Sablan and Executive Director Kayla S. Igitol made an announcement regarding absentee voters whose eligibility was questioned.
They said 333 letters were mailed to certain voters who requested absentee ballots but whose eligibility was in question based on domicile and residency requirements of the statute. These voters included those registered in another state or territory.
Of the 333, about 63 requested hearings. The hearings were conducted by the administrative hearing officer.
Following the hearing process, 19 of the voters were referred to the CEC executive director for reconsideration and were deemed qualified to cast their absentee ballots.
The administrative officer recommended that 39 remain on the CNMI voter registry for the 2022 general election. This recommendation was approved by the election commission.
Five were found ineligible to remain on the voter registry and it was recommended by the administrative hearing officer that they be removed. This recommendation was accepted and approved by the commission.
As for the absentee applicants who had not requested for a hearing, the election board decided to disqualify and remove from the voter registry those who are “dual registered” on election day as required by 1 CMC Section 6205(a)(8).
The absentee ballots of the other voters on the list who are not dual registered were counted in this election.
For the runoff election, as mandated by CNMI election law, the CEC will mail absentee ballots no less than 10 days before the runoff election date.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Tina Sablan, left, smiles as her running mate, Rep. Leila Staffler, speaks during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
