Not Enough Time in the Day to Bitch!

I am swapped with things I would like to look into. I am looking over the newly enacted Labor Law of 2007. This is an eyeful.

I am also trying to figure out the regulations and laws pertaining to the absentee voting process in the CNMI. I have found so many discrepancies in the laws it is mind boggling that they had passed originally. Here is an example:

1 CMC § 6213(a) is amended to read as follows:
“(a) To be counted, an absentee ballot shall be postmarked not later than 10 days from the date of election and be received by the Commission not later than seven days after 12:00 noon on the date of election. If the Commission is using a post office box for the receipt of absentee ballots, it shall remove all absentee ballots contained in the box on and no later than fourteen days after 12:00 noon on the election date and such ballots shall be deemed to have been received within the deadline.

(1) Commencing with the date absentee ballots are first sent out until seven days after the 12:00 noon on the date of election, no less than two persons shall go to the post office, one of whom shall be designated by the Commission chairperson and the other of whom shall be designated by the Executive Director, to collect absentee ballots.

(2) The reply envelopes shall not be opened but shall be marked as provided in subsection (b) and deposited in a locked ballot box until processed by the Commission pursuant to subsections (c) through (h) seven days after the election.”

c. 1 CMC § 6213(h) is amended to read as follows:
“(h) The returned envelopes marked 'OK', together with the application attached, shall be delivered by the Commission to the accounting and tabulation committee seven days after on the day of the election, to be tabulated by the accounting and tabulation committee.”

There are so many things that scream "WTF" in this one section of the amended code.

I also wanted to look into who qualifies to receive and submit an absentee vote. How are the absentee ballots cross-checked to determine that the voter did not physically vote at a polling location on the day of the election and then also submit an absentee ballot (what precautionary measures are in place?). I have first hand accounts of voters who went to the polling places on Saturday and their names were not manually crossed off the computer print out listing. I fear that the names of absentee voters also appeared on these lists. What would stop someone from voting physically and then also mailing in an absentee ballot. A simple check would be to ensure that every individual that entered the polls on Saturday had their name crossed out on the computer generated listing (and initialed by the voter. As I did). Then when you receive the 1000 or so absentee ballots simply cross check the print out and determine if the person already voted on Saturday at a physical location. Not rocket science, however if the names were not being crossed of then it throws a major wrench into any cross checking procedure.

I am also still trying my best to stay on top of the Federal Senate and House Bills regarding CNMI immigration.

So much to do and so little time.

Learn Something New Everyday

It has been brought to my attention that I was not thorough enough on my initial readings of the SCA. I seemed to have overlooked a major caveat.

I have mentioned before that should this Act pass it could only be amended or repealed in the future by the same process that brought it into law (Local Initiative and a 2/3 favored vote within the third senatorial district).

Perhaps I was so steamed byt hte time I got to Article X of the Saipan Casino Act that my vision was blurred and my mind was overheated.

I WAS WRONG.

If this Saipan Casino Act becomes law (garnering the necessary 8,300 or so yes votes) it can only be amended by approval of NMD registered voters in the Third Senatorial District.

Article X, Section 8. General – Amendment. Any proposed amendment to the “Saipan Casino Act” shall be approved or disapproved by the NMD registered voters only in the Third Senatorial District through local initiative.

You hear that Bruce? That mean if you vote yes on this and then feel something should be amended you are Shit outta luck. You would not be allowed to vote on it.

Furthermore, at the moment the Election Office does not have a listing of registered NMD voters. This information is not gathered when an individual registers to vote, nor should it be. How on earth would we even be able to verify NMD of 12,500 registered voters? Genealogy studies of each and every individual? Just take their word on it and only check into one that people question? One of your grandparents would have to have been domiciled in the CNMI prior to 1950 and have been a TT citizen. Good luck with the paperwork on that.

I wonder how much it would cost to put that list together. I wonder how much it would cost to defend this clause in courts.

This Act gets better as each day goes by.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow morning for Harry's Show on the various aspects of the provisions contained within the SCA.