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Title 48, Territories and Insular PossessionsRelease 119-102

§1422a Removal of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Member of Legislature; Referendum Election

Title 48 › CHAPTER 8A — GUAM › SUBCHAPTER II — THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH › § 1422a

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

People of Guam may use initiative and referendum under Guam law. A Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or member of the legislature can be removed by a recall vote only if the "yes" votes are at least two-thirds of the votes cast for that official in their last election and those "yes" votes are also a majority of people voting in the recall. The legislature must start the referendum after either a two-thirds vote of the legislature or a petition signed by registered voters equal to at least 50% of the votes cast in that official’s last election.

Full Legal Text

Title 48, §1422a

Territories and Insular Possessions, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The people of Guam shall have the right of initiative and referendum, to be exercised under conditions and procedures specified in the laws of Guam.
(b)Any Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or member of the legislature of Guam may be removed from office by a referendum election in which at least two-thirds of the number of persons voting for such official in the last preceding general election at which such official was elected vote in favor of recall and in which those so voting constitute a majority of all those participating in such referendum election. The referendum election shall be initiated by the legislature of Guam following (a) a two-thirds vote of the members of the legislature in favor of a referendum, or (b) petition for such a referendum to the legislature by registered voters equal in number to at least 50 per centum of the whole number of votes cast at the last general election at which such official was elected preceding the filing of the petition.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1982—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–357 added subsec. (a). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–357 redesignated existing provisions as subsec. (b) and inserted provisions relating to the removal of a Lieutenant Governor or member of the legislature of Guam. 1968—Pub. L. 90–497 substituted provisions for the removal of the Governor of Guam through a referendum election for provisions for the appointment, tenure, powers, and duties of the Secretary of Guam.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1968 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 90–497 necessary to authorize the holding of an election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor on Nov. 3, 1970, effective Jan. 1, 1970, and all other

Amendments

unless otherwise provided effective Jan. 4, 1971, see section 13 of Pub. L. 90–497, set out as a note under section 1422 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

48 U.S.C. § 1422a

Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102