I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2010
To protect the voting rights of members of the Armed Services in elections 
for the Delegate representing American Samoa in the United States 
House of Representatives, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 7, 2003
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To protect the voting rights of members of the Armed Serv-
ices in elections for the Delegate representing American 
Samoa in the United States House of Representatives, 
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) It is in the national interest that qualifying 
active-duty service members be allowed to vote in 
Federal elections.
(2) American Samoa law requiring uniformed 
and overseas voters to register to vote in person is 
contrary to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens 
Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.). 
(3) Since 1980, when the first election for the 
Congressional Delegate from American Samoa was 
held, general elections have been held in the first 
week of November in even-numbered years and run-
off elections have been held 2 weeks later. 
(4) This practice of holding a run-off election 2 
weeks after a general election is outdated, outmoded, 
and deprives active-duty members of the U.S. Armed 
Forces of the opportunity to participate in the Fed-
eral election process in American Samoa. 
(5) Prior to and since September 11, 2001, it 
remains impossible for absentee ballots to be pre-
pared and returned during a 2-week period due to 
limited air service, mail delays, and other consider-
ations. As a result, active-duty members continue to 
be denied the right to vote in American Samoa. 
(6) However, 49 states elect their Representa-
tives to the United States House of Representatives 
by plurality and it is in the national interest and in 
the interest of active-duty service members for 
American Samoa to do the same.
SEC. 2. PLURALITY OF VOTES REQUIRED FOR ELECTION 
OF DELEGATE. 
Section 2 of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to provide that 
the Territory of American Samoa be represented by a non-
voting Delegate to the United States House of Represent-
atives, and for other purposes’’, approved October 31, 
1978 (48 U.S.C. 1732; Public Law 95–556) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) by striking ‘‘majority’’ and inserting 
‘‘plurality’’ the first place it appears; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘If no candidate’’ and all 
that follows through ‘‘office of Delegate.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) EFFECT
OF ESTABLISHMENT
OF PRIMARY 
ELECTIONS.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), if the legis-
lature of American Samoa provides for primary elections 
for the election of the Delegate, the legislature may pro-
vide that the Delegate shall be elected by a majority of 
the votes cast in any general election for the office of Dele-
gate for which such primary elections were held.’’. 
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
on January 1, 2004.
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