Incomplete unofficial results from the August 21 special election show a close race for the mayor chair at Aur Atoll in a four-way race.
In the tabulation that includes “regular” votes from Aur, and absentee votes from Majuro, Fred Bukida was 10 votes ahead of Hesa Kaious, 335-325. Jimmy Jonathan polled 273 votes and Riem Saimon had 17.
Still to be included in the tabulation are absentee votes from Kwajalein, Ailinglaplap, Wotje, Maloelap and Jitoken Jaluit, according to the Electoral Administration.
The 950 votes cast on Aur and in Majuro for the four Aur candidates represents over half of the 1,890 voters registered for Aur.
Meantime, the also preliminary unofficial results show that Bowditch Jiji Kabua had a substantial lead over the Acting Mayor Waikiki Lakmis, 446-311, in a two-man race for mayor. While the two candidates ran nearly even in the regular votes from Namu — Kabua had 99 and Lakmis 98 — Kabua won the absentee vote in Majuro by a significant margin. Votes from the above-listed islands are also not yet included in this Namu total.
The special election was held to fill vacancies caused by deaths of mayors and various council members. There were also council races for Namu, Jaluit, Namdrik, Arno and Ebon.