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Unofficial results have Lemanu & Talauega winning 60+% of vote

LEMANU & TALAUEGA TEAM
fili@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The “Integrity, Leadership, Commitment” gubernatorial team of Lt. Gov. Lemanu Palepoi Sialega Mauga, candidate for governor, and running mate, Talauega Eleasalo Va’alele Ale, candidate for lieutenant governor, won yesterday’s gubernatorial race during the general election, according to unofficial results from the Election Office released at the wee-hours of this morning.

The Nu’uuli polling station was the last results released, which came after 1:15a.m today.

The 2016 general election had no run-off either with the Lolo and Lemanu incumbent team winning their second term in office. Prior to 2016, Samoa News has been unable to confirm as to whether there was similar results in past gubernatorial races, with no-run off since American Samoa started electing its governor in 1977.

Local law states that a special or run-off election, is held two weeks after the general election if none of the candidates received 50 percent plus one vote. The special election is between the two candidates with the highest number of votes.

In this case, Lemanu and Talauega team received much more. According to the unofficial results released just before 1:30a.m today, of the total 11,861 ballots counted for the gubernatorial race, Lemanu and Talauega received 7,154 votes (60.3%); Gaoteote Palaie Tofau & Faiivae Iuli Alexander Godinet with 2,594 votes (21.9%); I’aulualo Fa’afetai Talia & Tapaau Daniel Mageo Aga received 1,461 votes (12.3%); and Nua Sao & Tapumanaia Galu Satele Jr. with 652 ballots (5.5%).

There is a seven-day  waiting period before the chief election officer certifies the results as official.

Even before the unofficial results were announced on KVZK-TV, the candidates were already aware of the outcome of the election from their poll watchers.

Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga was barred under the local Constitution from seeking a third-consecutive, four-year term in office.