Two weeks left to print and mail absentee ballots
By: L.N. Reklai
October 6, 2016 (Koror) Oral argument on the civil appeal case filed by the Congressional Reapportionment Commission has been set by Chief Justice Ngirakelsong for Monday, October 17, 2016.
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It is expected that the court will issue a speedy decision in order for Election Commission to be able to print the ballots on time. [restrict]
Once the decision is made, the ballots will be printed in Guam and then brought back here to have the absentee ballots mailed out.
With oral arguments slated for October 17, it will leave only 13 days including the weekend before the November 1st General Election to print and mail out absentee ballots.
On September 22, 2016, the Congressional Reapportionment Commission filed an appeal seeking reversal of Trial Court’s decision which had reduced the number of Senators stated in the 2016 Reapportionment Plan from 13 to 11.
In the appeal, the Commission argues that the Trial Court erred in finding that “substantial deference is due to the Appellate Court’s dictum” and it also erred by finding that the Reapportionment Plan required an “arbitrary change” in a number of districts and/or number of Senators to comply with Article IX Section 4(a) of the Constitution.
The appeal seeks to have the Trial Court’s decision reversed and the number of Senators restored to 13 again. Ballots cannot be printed until this decision is made. [/restrict]