Voters Have Their Say at the Polls Today

election-day-uiagalelei

The candidates have had their say through campaign ads, speeches, and one on one conversations with voters.

Today 17, 339 voters deemed qualified to cast ballots will decide who will be the governor and lt governor for the next four years, and American Samoa;s delegate to congress plus 20 members of the House of Representatives.

Chief Election Officer Uiagalelei Dr. Uiagalelei Lealofi expects an 81% turnout at the polls today.Election Day cops

Ballot boxes were transported under police escort from the Election Office to polling places on Tutuila and Aunuu around 4 this morning after a prayer service conducted by Rev. Muao and remarks by Chief election Commissioner Uiagalelei Dr. Lealaofi Uiagalelei.

Ballot boxes for Manu’a were sent yesterday on the Segaula boat.

Voting booths opened at 6am under cool conditions as the sun was just peeking over the horizon.

Except for the blaring sirens of police vehicles and motors cycles in the Bay Area, voting booth were quiet.

The Election Commissioner says when the polls close at 6pm, the counting of votes will begin at each polling place and the order of counting will be the gubernatorial results first, then the House of Representatives and Delegate to Congress will be last.

Each election supervisor has been given a code to call in the results to the Election Office and the unofficial results will be broadcast on KVZK-TV.

Uiagalelei says he will give opening remarks at the start of the coverage and then Office of Public Information Director Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde and two announcers will present the results.

He says other media will be sent the results at the same time.

Uiagalelei expects that of the 17,339 voters registered about 14,000 will cast ballots.

As of yesterday, the number of absentee ballots cast , both off island voters and local, was 1400.

The Election Office will make a final mail run to the Pago Pago Post Office to check on off island absentee ballots at around noon.

The final ballots would have been sent on last night’s Hawaiian Air flight.

Yesterday was the last day for local absentee voting for Election Office staff and about 300 temporary hires involved in the elections, as well as voters who are infirm.

Election Day officeAt 2 this afternoon, the counting of absentee ballots will begin at the Election Office.

Uiagalelei says the names of all voters should be on the voter roll but each election year, there would be exceptions.

He says supervisors at the various polling places have been instructed on a verification process and to contact the Election Office in such cases.

There would also be instances where a voter’s name is on the list of registered electors but there may be some dispute on their voter ID.

The Election office has declared that voters may also use their birth certificate and an IdDcard, such as a driver’s license or valid passport to vote.

Uiagalelei is urging voters to get out and vote today. Election Day staff

He also appeals to candidates and their supporters, voters and the general public for their help in ensuring a peaceful and incident free voting day.

He said this should be a happy day, a day of decision making.

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