Yona residents will elect a new mayor on March 28 in a special election.
Guam Election Commission Executive Director Maria Pangelinan said the GEC board declared a mayoral vacancy during their meeting Thursday evening and set the date for the special election.
Residents will be able to vote from 7 am to 8 pm, on Saturday, March 28, at M.U. Lujan Elementary School.
Interested candidates can start picking up packets on Monday, Feb. 10 and the deadline to file is Thursday, Feb. 27.
Pangelinan said this election is for Yona residents only and you may be asked to show proof that you are a resident.
Pangelinan said the GEC still needs the money to pay for this special election, but that she is in talks with the legislature to cover the cost.
Initially, GEC had requested $23,000 for the special election, but it has since been advised that legal fees would be an additional $5,000.
All eligible residents of Yona interested in casting a ballot must register to vote by March 18.
Pangelinan says interested candidates must submit a special election packet, different than the general election packs already available.
“So they can come in starting Monday, Feb. 10 to pick up the packets. They have to turn them in by Thursday, Feb. 27 by 5 pm including 100 vetted nominating signatures. We want them to turn it in early, so we can have a good election … so we can have it all ready. We hope to convene the board on Thursday Feb. 27 at 5:30 pm to ratify the candidates. That’s a tentative schedule for right now, but we hope to be able to do it then,” Pangelinan said.
She added that the GEC submitted a request to the legislature this afternoon for the $23,000 needed to pay for the election and another $5,000 to cover the legal fees for holding it. They have yet to hear back on approval for the funding.
The special election comes after jailed, former Yona mayor Jesse Blas officially resigned his position on Jan. 30.
Blas pled guilty to one count of extortion this week and is facing a maximum of 20 years behind bars.
His sentencing hearing is set for May 4.
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