There are already promises of more technology. There is a hint of improved efficiency. The word on the street is that it will be a better Primary and General Election than those held over the past 43 years. It is a bold commitment to administer modern elections, but our culture and isolation from our U.S. counterparts makes this task daunting. This blogger is not making an excuse in advance of what will be a very carefully watched electoral process. People here don't do well with change and we all will have to accept the final outcome of our exercises in democracy-no matter the outcome.
The pocket meetings are in full swing. Organizations are lining up the next 11 months of activity which is highlighted by the campaign for Governor of Guam. Well placed and somewhat coy campaign signs already line our roads-masking their true intentions. Emails and Facebook posts are already spewing the messaging associated with hard work and a commitment to the health, public safety and education of our island community. Water cooler and back kitchen discussions are already in full swing on who and who not to vote for this Fall. The pulse of this election is being felt almost everywhere we go on Guam.
What will be the ISSUE for this election cycle? Can I recommend one for readers and Guam politicians alike-though some may not classify it as such? How about the improvement of Guam's economy-simply called a "Pocket Book" issue. Other questions still remain. With flat population growth, how is this election going to create new jobs among those who live here? Tourism is on the rise, but what will those seeking public office do to help diversify our visitors industry? Will the next Governor and Senators find meaningful solutions to what is eating at the moral fiber of what is the Hub of Micronesia? Will we all vote for status quo or for change?
Listen. Decide. Act. Voters here will hear the same rhetoric. The electorate will witness familiar tactics to garner a vote. Groups will pick up where they left off two and four years ago-ready to work and expecting something in return. This is a reality that this U.S. Territory will certainly not be able to change overnight. With short of half a century exercising our rights to select our representative government, the hallmark of our unique relationship with the United States of America, we all must come together and protect this important process and continue to work to take greater steps in shaping our collective destiny as a people of this important Pacific archipelago.