TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT
DIVISION 6: ELECTIONS
§ 6201. Voting: Eligibility. (a) Pursuant to Article VII, Section 1 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a person is eligible to vote who, on the date of the election, is 18 years of age or older, is domiciled in the Commonwealth, is a resident in the Commonwealth and has resided in the Commonwealth for a period of time provided by law, is not serving a sentence for a felony, has not been declared by a court to be of unsound mind, and is either a citizen or national of the United States. (b) Pursuant to Article VII, Section 2 of the Commonwealth Constitution, a person shall not be denied the right to vote because that person is unable to read or write. (c) Under the authority of Article VII, Section 1 of the Commonwealth Constitution, no person shall be eligible to vote who has not resided in the Commonwealth at least 120 days prior to the election day. (d) Consistent with Article VII, Section 1 of the Commonwealth Constitution, no person who is confined to a mental institution shall be eligible to vote. (e) In accordance with Article VII, Section 1 of the Commonwealth Constitution, no person serving a sentence for a felony, as defined by Section 6003(t) of this part, shall be eligible to vote. (f) No person shall register or vote in any other precinct than that in which the person resides. Source: DL 5-19, § 6, modified; last sentence added by PL 11-118, § 1(a); repealed and reenacted by PL 12-18, § 2 (6201). Commission Comment: See N.M.I. Const. art. VII, §§ 1-3. PL 11-118 that added the last sentence of this section took effect on January 25, 2000. PL 11-118 contained a severability clause as follows: Section 2. Severability. If any provision of this Act or the application of any such provision to any person or circumstance should be held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Act or the application of its provisions to persons or circumstances other than those to which it is held invalid shall not be affected thereby. PL 12-18 became effective on September 14, 2000.