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2020 General Election candidates certified — no challenges received

The sample ballot
Still up in the air — absentee balloting for voters stranded overseas
fili@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Chief Election Officer Dr. Lealofi Uiagalelei has certified candidates for the Nov. 3, 2020 general election, after the deadline to file a challenge against candidates has expired.

With the certification of candidates, absentee voting — both overseas and local — including COVID-19 stranded voters — has commenced after ballots were printed.

Uiagalelei released after 4:30pm on Sept. 1st the list of candidates who qualified for this year’s election after meeting all requirements. And electors were given three-business days to file a challenge against any candidate. Deadline to file a challenge was 4:30p.m Sept. 8th — this past Tuesday, according to the Election Office.

Uiagalelei told Samoa News that there were no challenges made and ballots are already printed.  

By Tuesday night, Uiagalelei issued the “Certification of Candidates for the Nov. 3, 2020 general election” official announcement, in which he certified all candidates whose names were listed and released as qualified candidates on Sept. 1st.

The gubernatorial race has four teams vying for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor:

•     Gaoteote Palaie Tofau & Faiivae Iuli Alexander Godinet

•     I’aulualo Fa’afetai Talia & Tapaau Daniel Mageo Aga

•     Lemanu Palepoi Sialega Mauga & Talauega Eleasalo Vaalele Ale

•     Nua Sao & Tapumanaia Galu Satele Jr.

Asked about the gubernatorial team of Fatumalala L. A. Al-Shehri for governor, and Leah A. Smith, for lieutenant governor who last year announced their plans to run for office, Uiagalelei told Samoa News yesterday that the Al-Shehri and Smith team “didn’t meet the full requirement of the petition” as they came up short of the number of signatures needed.

For the Delegate seat to the US House of Representatives there are three candidates:

•     Congresswoman Aumua Amata

•     Meleagi Suitonu-Chapman

•     Oreta Tufaga-Mapu Crichton

For the local House of Representatives race, there are 51 certified candidates for the 20-elected seats. Click on attachment at end of story for complete list.

Uiagalelei said “absentee ballot” voting started Sept. 9th “for outside absentee, disabled voting, election officials and poll workers.”

“For those who might travel for emergency and will not make it back on election day, they will need proof of ticket to vote prior to travel date,” he said, noting that the election office will also be open Saturday from 8:00am to 12pm for local absentee voting and voter registration.

At the close of business on Tuesday, total registered voters stands at 15,730 and deadline to register is Oct. 5th.

Data provided Tuesday night by the Election Office shows that so far 308 outside absentee voters have requested an absentee ballot. Of the total, 188 of the are COVID-19 stranded voters, 110 are requests from US military personnel, 8 of from students attending college and only 2 from ASG employees.

Uiagalelei said all outside absentee ballot requests are being mailed out as of yesterday. More information on the absentee ballot on Election Office website — (https://www.aselectionoffice.gov) — which includes information on those who may vote by absentee as well as request an absentee ballot.

Because borders remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Uiagalelei in July added a new category of overseas absentee voting, the COVID-19 absentee. Current law includes overseas absentee ballots for those in the military, students attending college, and ASG and federal employees who work off island.

A Senate approved bill pending in the House would authorize the Chief Election Officer to propose procedures to enable voters currently stranded off island due to the COVID-19 pandemic to vote absentee in the November election. A House hearing is scheduled for this morning.