Election
Coverage 2008
Compiled by
Samoa News Staff
ELECTION OFFICE
TO BEGIN ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC OFFICES
The Election
Office plans to start accepting applications from candidates
seeking public office for the Nov. 4 general election on June
2.
This year, voters
will go to the polls to elect the governor and lieutenant governor,
the delegate to the U.S. House and members of local House of
Representatives.
Deputy election
officer Filiva'a Mageo said the Election Office has received
many inquiries from the community asking when people can submit
the necessary paperwork for public offices. The most requests
coming from the public are those wishing to run for the local
House race, he said.
Mageo said Chief
Election Officer Soliai Tuipine plans to issue an official announcement
later this month opening the registration of candidates to start
on June 2. He also said that under local election laws, the deadline
to submit candidate petition and application is Sept. 1 by 4:30
p.m.
Once the necessary
papers are submitted, including the required petitions for nominations,
the Election Office will then check on the eligibility of the
candidates to make sure they meet local election requirements.
Mageo is hopeful
that candidates will not wait until the last minute.
"It takes
time for the Election Office to check applications and verify
signatures on the petitions," said Mageo.
The Election
Office also reminds voters that a voter ID is required in order
to cast their ballots at the polling stations. He urges those
who have already registered but have either lost, misplaced,
or torn voter IDs to come to their office in Utulei.
Last week the
U.S. Supreme Court sided with the state of Indiana requiring
voters to have a voter ID to cast a ballot. Mageo said that the
court ruling further reinforces local law requiring voters to
have a voter ID in order to vote.
Mageo also urges
individuals who qualify to vote but have yet to register to "please
do so as soon as possible" instead of waiting until the
last minute. This is the same message to individuals whose names
have been purged from the voters list because they didn't vote
in the last two elections.
"And if
you are a high school senior or ASCC student graduating this
summer and heading off-island for college, you must register
here in order to vote absentee from off island," Mageo added.
STATUS OF
NEW ELECTION OFFICE BUILDING IN TAFUNA
The Election
Office's new two-story home currently under construction in Tafuna
is proceeding well.
Deputy election
officer Filiva'a Mageo said that if the project is completed
in June or July, that means the Election Office will move into
its new home prior to the general election.
If not, Mageo
said the election this year will be carried out from its current
location in Utulei.
The multi-million
dollar Election Office, across from the VA Outpatient Clinic,
is funded by federal funds.
COMMITTEE
TO ELECT UTU CONDUCTS EXPLORATORY SURVEY
The committee
established to explore the people's interest in electing Utu
Abe Malae as governor has agreed to carry out an exploratory
survey of people who would support his candidacy.
The survey would
also seek to discover individual views of what the people believe
would make Utu a good candidate, according to Dr. Trudie Sala,
who is spearheading the exploratory survey.
She said over
3,000 signatures exist in their database, with more signatures
pouring in.
"Anyone
who will be 18 this year is welcome to sign our forms. Every
resident, be it a voter or non-voter, has a vested interest in
the leadership of our Territory, and we welcome their views about
what they want in our candidate and factors that affect their
quality of life."
Sala said the
exploratory survey is being conducted by everyone and anyone
who volunteers to help out.
"It's one
of those things that snowballed on its own," she said. "We
have cultural leaders, senior citizens, teachers, ASCC students,
cannery workers, nurses, linemen, Army Reservists, high school
students, all sorts of people involved with this project. We
don't have many meetings, we stay in contact via cell phones
and pockets of people may get together on their own to share
their anecdotal data from their individual survey experience."
Sala said the
Committee for Utu does not have a formal office or headquarters,
however, their volunteer spirit spurs their willingness to communicate
and to take the time to talk to people from all walks of life.
Anyone wishing
to become involved in the exploratory survey may call Dr. Sala
at 733-8013 or 731-0437.
Reach the
reporters at news.newsroom@samoatelco.com.
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