A Bill has been tabled in American Samoa to make it illegal to give out free food on Election Day.
The Acting Governor, Lemanu Peleti Mauga, says to protect the territory's interest in orderly and fair elections, there should also be a ban on making customary presentations of money or items of value by candidates or their representatives.
The acting governor pointed to a High Court ruling which declared such presentations unlawful when made to influence the ballot.
The proposed legislation would make distributing free food a Class A misdemeanor while customary presentations of money or items of value will be considered election fraud.
Another amendment proposed in the election measure is for a run-off election to be held if there is a tie between two or more candidates.
