Title 48 — Territories and Insular PossessionsRelease 119-73

§1752 Election of Delegate

Title 48 › Chapter CHAPTER 16— - DELEGATES TO CONGRESS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS DELEGATE › § 1752

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Delegate must be elected by the people who can vote for the Commonwealth's popularly chosen officials. Elections start at the Federal general election of 2008 and are held every 2 years after that. The Delegate is elected by all voters in the Commonwealth; usually the person with the most votes wins. If the Commonwealth holds primary elections under its Constitution, the general-election winner must get a majority of the votes. If the Delegate's office becomes permanently vacant, it stays empty until a successor is elected and qualified. A Delegate's term begins on the 3rd day of January after the election.

Full Legal Text

Title 48, §1752

Territories and Insular Possessions — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Delegate shall be elected—

(1)by the people qualified to vote for the popularly elected officials of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and

(2)at the Federal general election of 2008 and at such Federal general election every 2d year thereafter.

(b)(1)The Delegate shall be elected at large and by a plurality of the votes cast for the office of Delegate.

(2)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, acting pursuant to legislation enacted in accordance with the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, provides for primary elections for the election of the Delegate, the Delegate shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast in any general election for the office of Delegate for which such primary elections were held.

(c)In case of a permanent vacancy in the office of Delegate, the office of Delegate shall remain vacant until a successor is elected and qualified.

(d)The term of the Delegate shall commence on the 3d day of January following the date of the election.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

48 U.S.C. § 1752

Title 48 — Territories and Insular Possessions

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73