Saipan Tribune

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Fitial: Election Day is holiday

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has issued a memorandum confirming that Nov. 6, the day of the midterm election, is a legal holiday in the CNMI.

The governor cited 1 CMC 6508, which states, “If an election is held on a day other than a Saturday or Sunday, the election day shall be a legal holiday within the Commonwealth or in the senatorial or election district.”

“Therefore, please be advised that Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, shall be observed as a legal holiday in the Commonwealth,” Fitial said in his one-page memo of Oct. 3.

The fiscal year 2013 budget restored “paid” legal holidays and 80 work hours per payroll.

Up for grabs in the Nov. 6 midterm polls are 20 seats in the House of Representatives, three in the Senate, three for the Board of Education, all positions in municipal councils, retention of judges, and one position for U.S. nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Three legislative initiatives are also up for voters' ratification. These include House Legislative Initiative 17-2, which will make the attorney general an elected position; Senate Legislative Initiative 17-12, which seeks to amend the mission statement of the Board of Regents of the Northern Marianas College; and House Legislative Initiative 17-5, which will allow the government to float a bond to help prolong the NMI Retirement Fund's lifespan.

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Election Commission will be accepting requests for absentee ballots until Friday, Oct. 12. For more information, visit the Commonwealth Election Commission website at http://www.votecnmi.gov.mp.