President Panuelo Amends Decree Suspending Use of Special Polling Places in Guam & Honolulu; Absentee Ballots Received by March 16, 2021 to be Counted

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President Panuelo Amends Decree Suspending Use of Special Polling Places in Guam & Honolulu; Absentee Ballots Received by March 16, 2021 to be Counted

 

PALIKIR, Pohnpei—On February 25th, 2021, His Excellency David W. Panuelo—President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)—amended the December 3rd, 2020 Emergency Decree suspending the use of Special Polling Places in Guam and Honolulu for the FSM Congressional Election on March 2nd, 2021. The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that citizens’ rights of suffrage in the democratic process is upheld, and to avoid disenfranchisement of eligible voters during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The amended Decree requires the FSM National Election Office to consider and count all valid absentee ballots received by March 16th, 2021.

 

Absentee ballots must still be appropriately postmarked. For the purpose of the March 2nd, 2021 FSM Congressional Election, absentee ballots must be sent no later than March 2nd.

 

Citizens interested in reviewing the Amended Decree may find it here: https://gov.fm/files/Final_Decree_amendment_to_Cut-off_date_of_receipt_of_absentee_ballots.pdf