In recent days, I have been receiving questions from concerned citizens regarding my qualifications to run for public office, particularly with respect to residency requirements. I have prepared here a summary of the requirements for House of Representatives candidates under CNMI law, and an explanation of how I meet those requirements, with references to documents that verify my eligibility.

Under Article II, Section 3(c) of the CNMI Constitution, “A representative shall be qualified to vote in the Commonwealth, at least 21 years of age, and a resident and domiciliary of the Commonwealth for at least three years immediately preceding the date on which the representative takes office.” Article II, Section 3(d) also requires that a candidate “shall be a registered voter of the election precinct where he or she is a candidate.” The CNMI Constitution may be accessed online at www.cnmilaw.org/constitution.htm and at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library.

Commonwealth election law used to require that candidates be residents of their precincts for at least two years immediately preceding the date of the election. The two-year precinct residency requirement, however, was removed in 2005 by Public Law 14-87. Today, our election law requires that a candidate for the House of Representatives simply be: 1) qualified to vote in the Commonwealth; 2) at least 21 years of age; 3) a resident and domiciliary of the Commonwealth for at least three years immediately preceding the date on which s/he takes office; and 4) a registered voter and resident of the precinct in which s/he is a candidate. The Northern Mariana Islands Election Reform Act of 2000 (PL 12-18), and Public Law 14-87, which amends it, can both be accessed at www.cnmilaw.org . The Commonwealth Election Commission can also provide more information on CNMI election law, and can be reached at 664-VOTE.

Am I qualified to vote in the Commonwealth?

YES. I have been a registered voter in the Commonwealth since I turned 18. Public documents relating to my voter registration history can be found at the Commonwealth Election Commission.

Am I at least 21 years of age?

YES. I am 26. Public documents related to my age include my birth certificate, driver’s license, and passport.

Have I been a resident and domiciliary of the Commonwealth for at least three years immediately preceding the date on which I will take office?

YES. I was born and raised in the CNMI, and left the islands at the age of 18 to attend college between the fall of 1999 and the fall of 2003. I returned to the CNMI in June 2004 after I had saved up enough money to buy a ticket home. My employment with the Division of Environmental Quality began shortly after my return. Public documents related to my residency in the CNMI include my birth certificate, voter registration history, and memoranda of agreement that I signed with the CNMI Scholarship Office indicating my commitment to return home upon the completion of my college education. The Division of Environmental Quality can verify my employment history; the number for that office is 664-8500.

Am I a registered voter and resident of the precinct in which I ran for office?

YES. I am a registered voter of Precinct 1, and I live in Fina Sisu. I have lived in this village since August 1, 2007, the date that I signed my lease for the house in which I currently reside. I filed my candidacy papers on August 6, and was certified as a candidate on August 24.

One source of confusion for some citizens seems to be a letter to the editor that I wrote which was published in the Marianas Variety on October 4, 2007. Below my name, the Variety indicated that I still resided in Navy Hill. By that time, I had not lived in Navy Hill for nearly two years, and had been living in Fina Sisu for over two months. On the same day the letter was published, I notified the Variety editor of the error and requested a correction. Letters thereafter indicated my correct residence. I still have a copy of the email I sent to the Variety editor if anyone would like to review it.

Finally, some have asked me why I switched precincts “at the last minute.” Suggestions have been made that it was a political maneuver on my part – though to what end, I am not entirely clear. Moving to Precinct 1 did not give me any special advantage in the election. It was probably more of a disadvantage for me to run in the most crowded election race on the island, in a precinct in which I had never lived before.

The reason I “switched precincts” is quite simple. I am a renter. Prior to renting a house in Fina Sisu, I was renting a house in Garapan. Prior to renting that house in Garapan, I was renting a studio in Navy Hill. Prior to that, I was off-island attending college, also renting apartments. Prior to that, I was still in high school living with my parents in Tanapag, the village where I was born and raised.

I decided to move to Fina Sisu because I could no longer afford the rent for the house in Garapan. In the middle of my move, I began to consider running for office. Before deciding to run for office, I read both the CNMI Constitution and the election laws, and checked with the Commonwealth Election Commission to make sure that I met and understood the residency requirements for House of Representatives candidates.

My decision to run for public office was admittedly a rather last-minute decision. My decision to move out of Garapan was not. It was something I had been considering for months, and I decided to move when I finally found a more affordable place to live in Fina Sisu.

Although my rental agreements these past three and a half years are private, not public documents, and therefore not subject to the Open Government Act, I have no problem showing them to anyone who would like to see them. I am also happy to answer any other questions or concerns regarding my election qualifications, or any other issues for that matter. Please call me at 483-3935, or email me at tinasablan@gmail.com .