Eligible to vote in the plebiscite are those who are considered “native inhabitants” based on the definition of the 1950 Organic Act. These refer to those who have become American citizens after 1950 and their descendents.
When the “native inhabitants” registry is completed and the plebiscite is in place, voters will be presented three options: free association, statehood, or independence.
A plebiscite was initially scheduled to coincide with the 2000 general elections but was later reset for the 2002 primary elections.
With the Guam Election Commission facing the challenge of meeting the required percentage of voter registration, the process hit a snag anew. The plebiscite was reset for the 2004 general elections, but the legislature was compelled to postpone it indefinitely for the same reason.
Pangelinan said his office will continue to register people during regular business hours for those who are unable to register on Liberation Day.
Once a threshold is met on the registry, the Guam Election Commission will conduct a “political status plebiscite” in the general election ballot for registered voters to be able to exercise their right to vote on the three options.
According to the Guam Election Commission, there are currently 938 registered voters in the registry.
