The US Congress Resources Committee has unanimously approved American Samoa Congressman Faleomavaega's plurality voting bill.
The congressman's Washington DC Office has reported that all democrats and republicans on the committee voted yes on the bill. The legislation now goes to the full House.
The most significant provision of the bill is that it eliminates run-off elections for the congressional race and provides for primary elections if the legislature of American Samoa passes laws to provide for primary voting.
The bill notes that run-off elections are held two weeks later, if none of the candidates receive 50 per cent plus one vote, during general election.
And this practice of run-off elections, said the measure, "deprives members of the Armed Forces on active duty and other overseas voters" the opportunity to vote in local federal elections.
