[{"_1":2,"_95":-5,"_96":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6454317,"mediaKeyId","5861331-b80efba12b000784c6e4335421cc565d","parentId",5861331,"title","Committee hears bill to shorten appointment window for voter registration clerks to 21 days","audioSeconds",4590,"startMs",163000,"endMs",4753000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861331-b80efba12b000784c6e4335421cc565d&start=163&end=4753","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861331-b80efba12b000784c6e4335421cc565d/thumbnail_163000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6454317/Committee-hears-bill-to-shorten-appointment-window-for-voter-registration-clerks-to-21-days","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454317-a49ab687d902ce46678afa577b79219d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773576962&Signature=HteUp4Rj1e-ksr6a~T3Zr~P2iwe0XEsTRb3qvdyIGy1p5uKbS5h7bsc4UaEp3FktYAwslD90F45Rvbs6gOPLBOwzk9u5guAZRE0wPnR7ReGbuG1yjjvbL8uChmAHF9hx4Zy7oAT-djpziutnESEd47kKw5Snre6XwvIzw~MHFmlUvTenUobxJnddLiE54Ziisvk03Q6vONd-Z2WQQro5QQ~0nUAOpD2xu7PiTsHkLOYuKqrxr1njxMe9PVpSvRD01OxrWAJj-WbB3iJlV~enZKWi4IpDt-A~k9TRNsoieLelRNxyDyzcIb7VJLv0z0EpAQJUcyzgu-cqg3Wo4BuQWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Guam Legislature","date","2025-09-26T16:36:55Z","article","The Committee on Economic Investment, chaired remotely by Senator Tello Titegwe, on Sept. 26, 2025 heard Bill 185-38 COR, which would amend subsection 31.10 of chapter 3, title 3, Guam Code Annotated to shorten the appointment cutoff for volunteer voter registration clerks from 45 days to 21 days before an election.

The measure, sponsored in committee by Senator Tello Titegwe and presented at the hearing by Maria Pangolinan, executive director of the Guam Election Commission, is intended to align the statute with current Election Commission operations and the capabilities of Guam’s centralized voter-registration system. Pangolinan said the commission originally recommended a 45-day cutoff in 2018 but that online registration, motor-voter registration and a central database now allow the commission to process affidavits closer to election day.

The bill preserves the Guam Election Commission’s authority to set separate terms for special elections, plebiscites or initiatives. The measure received a fiscal-note waiver from the Bureau of Budget and Management Research, which said the change is administrative in nature and poses no additional fiscal impact in fiscal year 2025.

Maria Pangolinan, executive director, Guam Election Commission, recommended adding a related amendment to align the code’s registration-close provisions: she asked that the committee amend 3 GCA §3104 so district registration at mayor’s offices and the GEC would close 15 days before any election (instead of the 10 days that currently appears in some published materials) and that online and motor-voter registration cease 21 days before an election. Pangolinan said the number of registered voters stood at 62,098 after the 2024 general election and that the commission’s district registrars typically process late in-person registrations through 08:00 on the 15th day before an election.

Committee members probed operational risks. Committee staff noted the bill returns Guam to a previously used 21-day schedule; proponents said that timeline reduces unnecessary downtime for volunteer clerks and better matches how the commission stages pre-election work. Opponents or skeptics at the hearing raised the concern that a shorter appointment window could increase strain if there is a late surge in registrations, particularly for sudden special elections, and could leave less time to vet affidavits. Those concerns were discussed as potential weaknesses of the measure rather than defects the commission said it could not manage.

The committee acknowledged written and in-person testimony from the Guam Election Commission and other invitees and accepted the bill as \"duly heard.\" No final committee vote was recorded at the hearing; the committee will continue to accept written testimony for five business days.

The committee may consider the GEC’s suggested statutory edits during markup to make the appointment-cutoff change consistent with how district, online and motor-voter registration close before elections.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Hearing - Senator Telo T. Taitague - September 26, 2025 1PM","oneSentenceSummary","A Guam Legislature committee on Sept. 26, 2025 heard testimony on Bill 185-38 COR to shorten the appointment cutoff for volunteer voter registration clerks from 45 days to 21 days before any election; the Guam Election Commission asked for related edits to close district registration 15 days before elections.","taxTitle","Legislature 2025, Guam, International","taxId",80602,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6454307,"Committee considers adopting updated Guam election manual; GEC seeks technical corrections",0,7402000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861331-b80efba12b000784c6e4335421cc565d&start=7402&end=7402","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861331-b80efba12b000784c6e4335421cc565d/thumbnail_7402000.jpg","/articles/6454307/Committee-considers-adopting-updated-Guam-election-manual-GEC-seeks-technical-corrections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454307-ef5484ac4d74ce9f68f56b205a733b34/orig.mp4?Expires=1773576962&Signature=E2bOHxnCO89W5x5NGDe6z5RZ94T5RNuCt4Q7GGRfJIh~xh55gaCwMxCwDTmz2ivS4LKvC~H~Gn49yVauHl3hXYSnTti-AOSpjYLKaO2BXv~kadXX99H9m5nxCW42-2mCqKywclE3OxLH1ecjKvdH0X7xgqRTFe13ZOVB5ZXq9xLja8-isZv0AZnR6j7RzanBWP16F8Jweb-19skeOEE77AY0TvmWqo7NaNzUgkIAfUVvO~12C6QaUXmdAYiJtSTyNY4dCwkTwkQBQ44N6YXY3KAaqQx6rkhtPl4bX7FLCObTDD4Oa125uDL5NiWVlMuRv4q00CUTe5WsbybOQThwTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Guam Legislature’s committee on Sept. 26, 2025 heard Bill 190-38 COR, a measure to adopt the Guam Election Commission’s updated election manual as chapter 5 of title 6, Guam Administrative Rules and Regulations.

Maria Pangolinan, executive director of the Guam Election Commission, told the committee the manual updates procedures for early and absentee voting, standardizes forms and inventories, clarifies chain-of-custody and media protocols, and incorporates accessibility best practices. The GEC said the manual is roughly 70 pages and that the commission approved the updates at a public meeting on April 14, 2025 before transmitting them to the Office of the Attorney General and the governor for review on June 27, 2025.

Pangolinan requested technical corrections to ensure consistency with the Guam Code Annotated and other enacted laws. Specific changes requested at the hearing included changing a registration-related deadline from 10 days to 15 days prior to an election to match statutory language, lengthening a district-registrar grace period from three to five days, and updating the cessation date for district registration to 15 days before an election. The GEC also flagged a change to candidate filing windows: for certain offices (attorney general, public auditor, Guam Education Board, Consolidated Commission on Utilities) the suggested timing in the manual was adjusted to require filing 160 days before the general election with a latest filing no later than 90 days prior.

The GEC told the committee it anticipates using electronic pollbooks for the February 2026 cycle to replace paper signature rosters and said it will conduct an island-wide voter education campaign to familiarize voters with the technology. Pangolinan said that, as best practices evolve in the election industry, a lag in the AAA rulemaking process can delay the manual’s incorporation of new practices; she urged the legislature to consider sequencing implementation responsibly and allowing committee amendments where appropriate.

Committee members asked for examples of problems the new manual remedies; Pangolinan cited improvements such as updated ballot-printing procedures to reflect in-house digital printing (rather than older offset methods) and clarified reconciliation and provisional-ballot processes. The Bureau of Budget and Management Research and the Office of the Attorney General reviewed the submission; the GEC reported the estimated economic impact of the changes does not exceed the $500,000 AAA threshold. The committee considered the bill \"duly heard\" and will accept written testimony for five business days; no vote was recorded at the hearing.

If adopted after markup and any corrections, the manual would guide training, early-voting procedures and administrative complaints processes ahead of the 2026 election cycle.","Bill 190-38 COR would add a new chapter to adopt the Guam Election Commission’s updated election manual to modernize early voting procedures, accessibility rules and recordkeeping; GEC requested several technical edits (registration timelines, provisional-ballot counting days, candidate filing windows) to align the manual with statutory language.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":78,"_43":46,"_45":46,"_47":89,"_49":90,"_51":91,"_53":92,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":93,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":94,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6454312,"Committee reviews updated campaign finance rules, including electronic filing and fine schedule","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861331-b80efba12b000784c6e4335421cc565d&start=4753&end=4753","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861331-b80efba12b000784c6e4335421cc565d/thumbnail_4753000.jpg","/articles/6454312/Committee-reviews-updated-campaign-finance-rules-including-electronic-filing-and-fine-schedule","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454312-bd240ad2cf7fc2566b8e27812bf100a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773576962&Signature=ClyfwyWRFq~y4UWNqW7ykQKA~y5c22w4k-QufV-viAGAzLsDKbE5KxS9LO1CB6ykgTkoZTF7K0Eaw33c84Knm7to7f6iYIftvglVHdAD1IhSSMdeZrFvYU8X57wa5p8sWGHWCL1K~vYBN5ZZitENnXmUWuSSpUk81xdw2ImzMEpz63bjThJcpGe14OGdHt1Adkp2FuUTKeadwWdDZfNpHfaATKmRElB0f0lth81sKKCl2f2ASW3uHROyaIDbP2WUeguX3dVRm1Oqkk2Pvfje6Z2cbWTAVfJ0PvYKXv8fvLcXxWPVEXSKum~hcfQK74MyXMwZSdgCoxAEnJInSJ6Q4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Guam Legislature’s committee on Sept. 26, 2025 took testimony on Bill 189-38 COR, which would repeal and reenact chapter 3, title 6, Guam Administrative Rules and Regulations to adopt updated campaign contributions and expenditures rules and related report forms.

Maria Pangolinan, executive director of the Guam Election Commission, told the committee the updates modernize campaign finance reporting by requiring electronic submission of reports, provide clear deadlines and procedures for depositing and returning contributions, and establish a structured schedule of fines with cure periods. The changes follow Public Law 38-18, which moved some campaign reporting to a quarterly schedule, and the GEC said the proposed rules are intended to implement that statute in practice.

The Bureau of Budget and Management Research noted in a fiscal note that fines collected for contribution violations could create revenue, but BBMR could not estimate the fiscal impact without historical data from the GEC. The Office of the Attorney General and the governor approved the GEC’s administrative-adjudication filings; OAG review flagged technical posting and preliminary-cost-assessment documentation that, if strictly applied, could prompt a supplemental public hearing, though committee staff concluded the GEC had substantially complied with the process.

Committee members raised concerns about the compliance burden on grassroots or first-time candidates. Senator Gumatata, who identified himself as chairman of the Republican Party of Guam, told the committee that administrative burdens and a structured fine schedule could disproportionately affect volunteer-run campaigns. In response, Pangolinan said the GEC plans candidate seminars, has three staff dedicated to campaign finance review, will issue advisory opinions that clarify recurring questions, and will hire temporary staff closer to election season to handle workload spikes.

The hearing included questions about political action committees, in-kind contributions and enforcement. Pangolinan explained that in-kind contributions count toward individual contribution limits; corporations are restricted to cash contributions for fundraisers and ticket purchases under current Guam law, and PACs report separately and are subject to complaints and investigation if violations are alleged. Under current practice the maximum individual contribution per candidate per election is $1,000; the GAR updates add a more detailed fine schedule tied to particular filing or reporting infractions.

The committee considered the bill \"duly heard\" and invited written testimony for five business days. No committee vote was taken at the hearing; the GEC and invited parties will have an opportunity to provide additional information, including historical data on past violations and on how many in-person registrations were handled by volunteer clerks.","Bill 189-38 COR would adopt the Guam Election Commission's updated campaign contributions and expenditures rules requiring electronic filing, adding a structured fine schedule and advisory procedures; GEC staff said it will offer candidate seminars and advisory opinions to ease compliance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears bill to shorten appointment window for voter registration clerks to 21 days

Committee considers adopting updated Guam election manual; GEC seeks technical corrections

Committee reviews updated campaign finance rules, including electronic filing and fine schedule