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Senate moves to amend election law
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Posted on Aug 30 2005
Covenant Party candidate Rose Nelly T. Ada-Hocog may eventually be allowed to join the electoral race if a bill that aims to remove certain qualifying restrictions is passed into law.
Senate Bill 14-96, pre-filed by Senate majority leader Paul Manglona on Monday, aims to amend the election law to remove the restrictions on House candidates “that are not imposed on senatorial or mayoral candidates.”
The proposal aims to amend section 6303, Title 1 of the Commonwealth Code to remove the provision requiring a candidate for a House seat to be “a registered voter and a resident of the election precinct where he or she is a candidate for at least two years immediately preceding the date of election.”
The Commonwealth Election Commission refused to certify the nomination of Ada-Hocog last week because she was not a registered voter during the 2003 midterm election. She is seeking election as representative of Precinct 1. Her legal counsel, Matthew T. Gregory, said they would bring the case to the CNMI courts.
Manglona, meantime, said that the law should provide “equal opportunity” for people wanting to seek public office.
He also said that the bill aims to protect Election board members from personal liabilities.
