Unofficial results of Special Election show Fa’auifono Vaitautolu is winner

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The “unofficial” winner of yesterday’s Special Election for House District #1 Manu’a — which comprises Ta’u, Faleasao and Fitiuta – is a woman. Fa’auifono Vaitautolu is set to fill the seat left vacant following the passing in June this year of Rep. Alumamalu Ale Filoialii.

The Election Office released the “unofficial results” of the September 12 Special Election after 7p.m once the three-polling stations — two in Manu’a and one on Tutuila — were closed at 6p.m.

According to the “unofficial results”, Vaitautolu received the highest number of votes at 203 (or 48.1%) out of the total ballots of 422 that were counted from the Special Election.

Paepaetele Mapu Jamias received the second highest number of votes at 128, followed by Mailo Oge T. Nua with 48 votes and Leifitele Aliitama Sotoa with 43 votes.

In accordance with local law, there is a 7-day waiting period before the results are made official and the winner is officially declared by the Chief Election Officer.

And if Vaitautolu — who served as deputy Education Department director for many years until the Lemanu Administration took office in January 2021 — is the official winner, she would be the only female faipule in the House for the current 38th Legislature. 

Meanwhile, election officials say that just over 700 registered voters are on the voter-registry for Manu’a District #1. And by Tuesday around 3p.m or 4p.m., the two polling stations in Manu’a began the counting process after all voters cast ballots. The results — which quickly reached others on Tutuila via telephone and social media — were called in by Election officials to the main Election Office.

Samoa News notes that there are two seats for House District #1 Manu’a. The other seat is held by veteran lawmaker and current Vice Speaker, Fetui Fetu Jr.

BACKGROUND

The other current seat holder of Manu’a District 1, House Vice Speaker Faipule Fetu Fetui Jr. — who has held the seat for close to 40 years — congratulated Vaitautolu for winning the second seat.
 “This is not her first time competing against men,” he told Samoa News. “We ran together in the 90s and I’m very proud of her progression.”

Fetui Jr. said, of the more than 700 voters that registered for the Constituency of Fitiuta and Faleasao Manu’a in the last election, he’d noticed there were only 422 of them that voted in this week’s bi election.
“Voters may have their own reasons not to vote, like traveling overseas, maybe sick, or they may not want the current candidates.”

He said, he is happy finally they have a woman faipule for this legislature term, and he’s grateful for the elderly councils in Ta’u & Faleasao and Fitiuta for allowing her to be their other faipule in the House.
Vice Speaker Fetui Jr. said, for the two of them, “we’ll make a good team.”

He recalls that Vaitautolu has served in the local government for many years, as well as successfully serving for the US Government.  

Of note, the new faipule for Manu’a No 1 seat will be the first faipule to come in, under the new annual pay rise of $45,000.

Click on attachment to download the Election Office pdf of the results.