Voters in the Northern Islands failed to participate in Saturday’s electoral exercise due to bad weather, Board of Elections Executive Director Gregorio Sablan said.<\/p>\n
Sablan said the helicopter which was supposed to carry the election ballots and election officers who would conduct the polls could not fly because of heavy rains.<\/p>\n
At least 15 voters were not able to cast their votes in the Northern Islands, including Agrihan and Anatahan, Sablan said.<\/p>\n
“We were ready to go, but the helicopter refused to fly. We had made arrangements, but there was nothing we could do about the weather,” Sablan said.<\/p>\n
He said the elections board could not find an alternative to address the situation. “If we had an option, we would have done that,” Sablan said.<\/p>\n
While 15 votes may not spell any difference in the results of the elections, Sablan said he was disappointed over the Northern islands voters’ failure to cast their ballots.<\/p>\n
“It might not change the results of the elections, but every vote is important because everyone has the right to vote,” Sablan said.<\/p>\n
He did not say, however, if the board would call for a special election in the remote islands.<\/p>\n
Asked if he expected any protest from the disenfranchised voters, Sablan said that the elections board could not be faulted for something beyond its control.<\/p>\n
“It was an act of God,” Sablan said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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