Commonwealth Election Commission. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Mark Rabago
The Commonwealth Election Commission (CEC) is considering manual tabulation for the 5 November polls, citing a delay in the counting of ballots during the 2022 general elections.
CEC board member Remedio Sablan made a motion to consider reverting to manual tabulation during a board meeting last week after complaints made by candidates and members of the community.
During the last election season, tabulations started over three hours after ballots arrived at the counting site with results being announced the next morning.
Sablan said that she heard the reason for the delay was due to the tabulation machine malfunctioning.
However, CEC executive director Kayla Igitol explained that there was no malfunction with the machine and that it was due to the former CEC chairman's decision to start tabulations late.
Sablan said that before tabulation machines were used, the CEC hired tabulators who counted votes by hand and more often than not, tabulations results were in within a few hours.
In addition, she states that with actual people doing the tabulating, there is no issue of malfunctions.
However, Igitol, for her part, explained that it would be difficult to implement manual tabulation for this year's elections as it would take a lot of preparation to include proper training.
Sablan said there are many retirees who served as tabulators in the past who are beyond qualified to tabulate election results.
A total of 61 candidates will vie for positions in US Congress, CNMI Senate and House of Representatives, municipal councils on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, and the CNMI Board of Education for the 2024 general elections.
Meanwhile, the CEC said the CNMI's voter registration number is 18,129, including absentee voters.