We on Middle Road would like to say "good luck" to our friends that are running for a seat at the House of Representatives: Tina Sablan, Rep. Cinta Kaipat, Rep. A. Waki and Brad Ruszala.
Liquor ban is effective tomorrow from 7am to 7pm until voting on polling places ends. So in other words no drinking while voting. ;-) If you are caught intoxicated while voting your votes won't be counted. Kidding. Just make sure you don't see double while voting. ;-)
Also, no political ads are allowed during election day. The ads include on print and broadcast media. So, sorry Nahal, your ad is banned too (smiles)
22 comments:
Also, no political ads are allowed during election day. The ads include on print and broadcast media.
There is absolutely no way in hell that is legal.
And is there a day more in need of liquor than the day you contemplate the army of people running for our bloated office.
not legal? what do you mean Jeff? Pardon my naivete.
biba si me!
The first amendment. You can't restrict what newspapers say just because it's election day, and newspaper ads are speech.
oh. hmmm. i guess they dont consider ads as that.
just don't vote for crisostimo or aquino!!!
Thanks, Middle Friends!
Porky's recommends that you all go out and vote tomorrow.
Porky's will be open and serving liquor at 7:01PM Saturday evening. Come on by and enjoy yourself. Even psuedo philosophers are welcome as long as their togas don't smell.
I'm looking at 1 CMC 6705 and it seems only to restrict campaigning activities within 100 feet of a polling place. Am I missing something?
Perhaps the newspapers know better than me.
But, I agree with Jeff that you can still campaign anywhere else as a form of free speech. This is also firmly supported by the US Supreme Court's decision in Mills v. Alabama, 384 U.S. 214 (1966), which struck down a law that criminalized a newspaper editorial published on election day that advocated a position on an initiative.
The restriction at the polling booths is a traditional one that the Supreme Court allows, despite the First Amendment, based on the government's compelling interest in preventing undue influencing, such as vote-buying, or if you threaten to slap around a voter if he votes against you. (Okay, so that last one is something I just made up.)
You are not allowed to have advertisements a certain number of feet from a polling station. I've never heard of a law prohibiting any advertising, print or television, on the day of the election. That wouldn't stand up to any sort of legal challenge.
BIBA TINA!
Oh, and I like the other part of 1 CMC 6705 that says the 100 ft. radius campaigning prohibition includes campaigning by aircraft. So, let's see that prop-plane zoom down with a banner about 110 ft. above my head at the polls. Go democracy!
Omar, since it was only signed into law this April 11th, the newspapers seem more aware than you of Public Law 15-52 (orderly conduct at polling places).
See generally http://www.cnmilaw.org/public_laws15.php (Public and Local Laws of the 15th Legislature).
Thanks kindly, Voter.
So it's a 300 ft. no-campaigning zone. But there's still no mention of a total campaign blackout in PL 15-52.
How would the measure the altitude of the plane at the time it passed over the polling station anyway? Hmmm?
Does the law mention helicopters? Can they hoover 105 ft. above a polling station with a sign hanging down.
Yes by the way..
Go Tina! Boo Saipan Casino Initiative! Boo Boo Boo
vote wisely (for senator) ;-)
thanks omar for the comments!!!
I talked to zaldy. The no ads thing on election day is a law in the PI. Not here.
hmmm...why would election commission prohibit it? the paper could've earned more today right? ;-) no comment jeff. ;-)
This thing deserves journalistic investigation.
Or legal research, both on U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence, and former Title 1, Commonwealth Code, Section 6423 (prohibiting campaign ads on election day), which was repealed by the same law referenced above, increasing the no-campaign zone distance from 100 to 300 feet.
The Marianas Variety has never published on Saturday anyway. But it is the candidate's activity (buying an ad), not the newspapers, that was the subject of the former CNMI law.
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