It’s Election Day in American Samoa — exercise your right and vote

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Chief Election Officer Uiagalelei Lealofi as well as joint government and traditional leaders are reminding all registered electors in the 2022 Midterm Election that today, Nov. 08 — is Election Day, and to “exercise your right, by voting.”

And at press time leading into Election Day, there has been no update or changes pertaining to the Representative District #1 - Manu’a slate, where Uiagalelei has disqualified Ali’itama Sotoa as a candidate. Attorneys for Sotoa have threatened to file a lawsuit against the Chief Election Officer for his decision to disqualify Sotoa (see Samoa News edition yesterday for details).

Today, electors will cast ballots for the Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives; the 20-elected members of the local House and the referendum ballot proposing eleven changes to the Constitution.

Incumbent Congresswoman, Uifa’atali Amata — whose name appears on the ballot as ‘Aumua Amata’ — is running unopposed as are five-incumbent faipule for the local House of Representatives.

“We are set with our 41 polling places” which open from 6a.m. to 6p.m. to cast ballots, said an Election Office official Sunday night and who noted that “we are really busy prepping” for today’s election.

With the help of village pulenuu and the Department of Public Safety, the Election Office has two election officials delivering the ballot boxes to Manu’a polling stations. And the team was scheduled to depart yesterday with plans to return to Tutuila the day after the election.

Election officials on Tutuila are expected to head out early this morning with ballot boxes — following a briefing and prayer at the Election Office — escorted by police to their respective polling stations, arriving before 5:30a.m.

The Election Office announced last month — after voter registration closed — that the total number of registered voters is 14,312.  As of late Sunday afternoon, a total of 726 local and overseas absentee ballots had been cast.

As previously announced by the Election Office, all local and overseas absentee ballots will be sorted to the polling stations and counted there.

The Election Office and the Governor’s Office have each called for a peaceful election in American Samoa. The Election Office, as in past election years, will be working closely with the Department of Public and village pulenuu to ensure a safe and peaceful Election Day.

Manu’a polling stations are expected to close early, or as soon as all registered voters cast their ballots and this is expected to occur between 2- 3 p.m. The ballot counting process then gets underway with the results called into the Election Office while the election officials return back to Tutuila with the ballot boxes.

As in past election years, poll watchers for candidates will probably call up others to relay to them the results.

On Tutuila, once the polls are closed, election officials at the various polling places will then begin the process of counting the ballots at their respective stations. The results are then called into the Election Office and election officials make their way back to the Election Office with their ballot boxes.

Election results called into the Election Office are then reviewed by Uiagalelei and announced live on KVZK-TV. The final unofficial results will be released by the Election Office and distributed to local news media outlets in the territory.

Besides village pulenu’u, police will also be present at polling stations as well as the Election Office in Tafuna — where Swains Island registered voters will cast ballots for the Congressional race.

Also remember, according to the Code Annotated of American Samoa Section 27.0531 (i):

“No alcoholic beverage or beer may be sold or dispensed in any public place or places open to the public during such times as the polls may be open on the day of any general or special election.”

Samoa News wishes American Samoa a safe and peaceful 2022 Mid Term Election and “Go vote”.