Guam Legislature advances bill shortening clerk appointment window, keeps later district deadline

The Guam Legislature on the floor advanced Bill 185-38 COR, a statutory update that shortens the appointment period for voter registration clerks and aligns registration deadlines across different registration methods.

Sponsor remarks said the change reflects the realities of a centralized voter-registration system, online registration and motor-voter processes now in place. “It shortens the appointment period to 21 days before an election,” the sponsor stated, explaining that the amendment gives the Guam Election Commission operational flexibility for special elections and plebiscites.

The committee amendment also adjusted a related provision in 3 GCA 3104—striking a reference to a 10-day cutoff and replacing it with 15 days so district and in-office deadlines are consistent under the revised schedule. On the floor, another senator objected that the 15-day language could shorten in-office walk-in registration and moved to delete section 2 (page 2, lines 7–12). The amendment to delete that section failed when the body voted; the presiding officer recorded, “Motion fails.”

After debate, the bill sponsor moved Bill 185-38 COR as amended by the committee to the voting (third-reading) file; the presiding officer recorded no objections and ordered the motion carried. The sponsor said the measure carries no fiscal impact to the government of Guam and asked colleagues to support the change as a practical step to keep election statutes aligned with current practices.

Next steps: Bill 185-38 COR was placed on the voting file for third reading and final disposition by the Legislature.