Voting Rights Guide: Guam (GU)
State Voting Guides

Voting Rights Guide: Guam (GU)

Skip to main content
Table of Contents
< All Topics
Print

Voting Rights Guide: Guam (GU)

Posted
Updated
ByPU Publish
0 out of 5 stars
5 Stars 0%
4 Stars 0%
3 Stars 0%
2 Stars 0%
1 Stars 0%

This article has been corrected. 3 corrections — see Corrections at the end of this article.

IMPORTANT: Voting laws change frequently. Always verify information with official government sources before acting. This guide was last updated: 2026-09-07. If you find an error, report it immediately.

Jurisdiction Type: Territory (unincorporated, organized)

Table of Contents

  1. Your Representation and Your 2026 Ballot
  2. Key Dates for November 3, 2026
  3. Voter Registration
  4. Birth Certificates
  5. Proof of Citizenship Documents
  6. How to Vote
  7. Voting Laws & Legal Resources
  8. If You Are Denied the Right to Vote
  9. Resources & Contacts

Your Representation and Your 2026 Ballot

Guam is represented in Congress differently from a state. State it plainly before anything else:

  • One non-voting Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. The Delegate is elected

at-large, serves a two-year term, and may serve on and vote in House committees. The Delegate cannot vote on final passage of legislation on the House floor. Whether Delegates may also vote in the Committee of the Whole has changed with which party controls the House; the floor-vote exclusion has not.

  • No U.S. Senator. Guam has no representation in the Senate of any kind.
  • No vote for President. Guam casts no electoral votes, and residents do not vote for

President in the November general election. Party caucuses and primaries in presidential years select delegates to the national conventions, but that is a party nominating process, not the general election.

  • People born in Guam are United States citizens at birth, by federal statute (8 U.S.C.

1407, from the 1950 Organic Act). This is different from American Samoa, where people are born U.S. nationals rather than citizens. A Guam-born citizen who moves to a state may register and vote there like any other citizen.

What is on the November 3, 2026 ballot

  • Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives — incumbent James Moylan (R) and Alicia

G. Limtiaco (D), the two primary winners from August 1

  • Governor and Lieutenant Governor (four-year term)
  • Attorney General of Guam (nonpartisan race)
  • All 15 seats in the Guam Legislature (the 39th Guam Legislature, at-large)
  • Guam Education Board
  • Consolidated Commission on Utilities
  • Judicial retention questions for judges and justices who filed by September 4, 2026

Possible gubernatorial runoff. A Guam gubernatorial slate must win a majority. If none does on November 3, a runoff between the top two slates is held two weeks later, on Tuesday, November 17, 2026. The Guam Election Commission 2026 calendar does not list a runoff date, so confirm with the Commission if the governor race is close.

Guam held its primary on Saturday, August 1, 2026. That election is over; every date in this guide is for the November 3 general.

Key Dates for November 3, 2026

Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 — polls open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ChST Homebound voting begins: Monday, October 5, 2026 Early in-office absentee voting: Thursday, October 8 through Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at The Westin Resort Guam, Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Last day to register to vote: Monday, October 19, 2026 (15 days before the election) Last day to request an off-island absentee ballot: Saturday, October 31, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ChST Absentee ballots must be received by GEC: 5:00 p.m., and see the caution below about which day Provisional ballot and registration cure deadline: Friday, November 13, 2026

Source: Guam Election Commission, 2026 Important Dates.

Voter Registration

Same-Day Registration: NO — registration closes 15 days before Election Day and does not reopen until the first business day after.

Registration Deadline: Monday, October 19, 2026 — **received/submitted by that date, not postmarked.** Registration closes 15 days before each Election Day under 3 GCA 3105, and the Commission gives 8:00 p.m. ChST as the cut-off time for absentee-registration submissions. Photo ID Required to Register: Yes — and proof of U.S. citizenship as well. These are two separate requirements, though one document can satisfy both. Accepted IDs: a validly issued photo identification card from a federal, state, Guam secondary school, Guam post-secondary school, or Government of Guam entity. To register online you must have a valid Guam driver’s license number or Guam ID number.

Registration Links

Where to register in person:

  • Guam Election Commission Office, 2nd Floor, Suite 202, Oka Building, 241 Farenholt Avenue, Tamuning, GU 96913
  • Department of Revenue and Taxation, Motor Vehicle Division, when applying for a driver’s license or Guam ID
  • Any village Mayor Office with a deputised voter registrar — call first to confirm a registrar is in
  • A volunteer voter registrar, or a public high school or college campus when a registrar is available

Notes: Guam does not offer general mail-in voter registration. You register online, in person, or by submitting an absentee-ballot application, which under 3 GCA 3108 counts as a registration if the Commission receives it before the rolls close. **Bring photo ID whenever you register in person.**

To qualify to vote, you must:

  • Be a citizen of the United States;
  • Be 18 years old by Election Day (16-year-olds may pre-register; a 17-year-old who turns 18 by the general election may register and vote in both the primary and the general that year);
  • Be a resident of Guam, and domiciled in your district or municipality for at least 30 days before the election;
  • Not be confined to a mental institution;
  • Not be judicially declared incompetent; and
  • Not be committed under a sentence of imprisonment.

Felony convictions. The bar is being committed under a sentence of imprisonment. Once you have completed your sentence you may register — including while on parole or probation.

Staying registered. You do not need to register again unless you fail to vote in two consecutive general elections. If you move to a new village you must transfer your district by filing a new Affidavit of Registration; transfers between the primary and the general are not permitted, so a transfer filed now takes effect after November 3.

Birth Certificates

A birth certificate may be needed to prove citizenship or obtain other identity documents. On Guam it is one of the documents accepted as proof of citizenship when you register.

Issuing Agency: Office of Vital Statistics, Department of Public Health and Social Services, Government of Guam Fee: $5.00 Standard Processing Time: not published — call the Office of Vital Statistics before you rely on a turnaround Expedited Option: not published — ask the Office of Vital Statistics

How to Request

  • In person / by appointment: Office of Vital Statistics, Department of Public Health and Social Services. An appointment is required for a new birth certificate.
  • By Mail: Office of Vital Statistics, Department of Public Health and Social Services, Government of Guam, P.O. Box 2816, Agana, GU 96932

Notes: Money order payable to Treasurer of Guam. Personal checks are not accepted. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Records are available from October 1901. **If you need a birth certificate in order to register, order it well before October 19, 2026** — the registration deadline does not move for a document that has not arrived.

Proof of Citizenship Documents

Guam requires documentary proof of U.S. citizenship at the time you register. This is a real requirement with real consequences, and it is the single most common reason a Guam registration is rejected.

Public Law 38-58 (from Bill No. 154-38, enacted 2025) reinstated the documentary requirement. Before it, a registrant could attest to citizenship without producing a document. The Guam Election Commission has been verifying citizenship documentation since March 2025.

This is a document-at-registration rule, not a back-end check. The voter action is bring the document — not register now and check your status later. Guam does not issue a federal-only ballot to registrants who cannot produce citizenship documents, and it does not run a program that registers you first and cancels your registration later on a database match. If your registration is incomplete, the remedy is a provisional ballot (see below), which under 3 GCA chapter 14 serves to complete a deficient registration application — you are then deemed registered as of the date of your original application, and your provisional ballot is counted once the application is completed and found valid, within ten days of the election.

Accepted Documents

  • U.S. Passport
  • U.S. Passport Card
  • Certified birth certificate certifying birth in the United States
  • Certificate of Naturalization
  • Consular Report of Birth Abroad / Certification of Birth Abroad

**A document that proves citizenship and carries a photograph satisfies both the photo-ID requirement and the citizenship requirement in one.**

How to Obtain Citizenship Proof

Submit copies, not originals, of your citizenship document with your registration, along with a government-issued photo ID. The Commission accepts documents at its Tamuning office, by mail, and by email to the addresses under Resources below; use a secure method when you send documents electronically.

For a U.S. passport, apply through the Guam U.S. Passport Office. Bring certified evidence of citizenship plus photocopies on white 8.5 x 11 paper in black ink only. Passport Office phone: (671) 635-8974.

For a Guam birth certificate, see the Birth Certificates section above.

For US Citizens Abroad

Registering by mail from off-island: submit a completed Federal Post Card Application or a Guam absentee application to the Commission **with an attached copy of a U.S. passport or a U.S. birth certificate, plus a photo ID.** The Commission must receive it by the registration deadline — October 19, 2026 for the general election.

U.S. citizens abroad may obtain citizenship proof through U.S. embassies and consulates for passport services, or file Form N-600 for a Certificate of Citizenship with USCIS.

How to Vote

Voting in Person

Photo ID Required: Yes — bring a valid photo ID to your polling place. Accepted IDs: a validly issued photo identification card from a federal, state, Guam secondary school, Guam post-secondary school, or Government of Guam entity. In practice this includes a U.S. passport, a Guam driver’s license, a Guam ID card, a military ID, an ID issued by another U.S. jurisdiction, and University of Guam or Guam Community College student IDs. Polls Open: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ChST on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 Find Your Polling Place — polling sites and voting precincts are published by the Commission; call (671) 477-9791 if you cannot find yours.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Step 1: Confirm you are registered at gec.guam.gov/validate — do this before October 19
  2. Step 2: Find your assigned polling site for your village and precinct
  3. Step 3: Bring a valid photo ID
  4. Step 4: Vote at your polling site between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Time off to vote: under 3 GCA 9127 every voter is entitled to be absent from work for two consecutive hours between the opening and closing of the polls, without penalty or loss of pay.

Voting by Mail

Mail voting requires an excuse. Guam is not a no-excuse mail-ballot jurisdiction. To receive a ballot by mail you must qualify under one of the conditions in 3 GCA 10101, listed under Voting by Absentee Ballot below. **Early in-office absentee voting is the no-excuse option** — see Early Voting. Application Deadline: Saturday, October 31, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ChST for an off-island absentee ballot. The Commission strongly recommends applying well before the deadline so the ballot has time to reach you and get back. Ballot Return Deadline: see the boxed caution below. Request a Mail Ballot — print the absentee application, sign the affirmation, and mail it to Guam Election Commission, P.O. Box BG, Hagatna, GU 96932; or scan and email it to voteAbsentee@gec.guam.gov; or deliver it to the Commission office in Tamuning.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Step 1: Confirm you qualify under one of the seven absentee conditions
  2. Step 2: Submit your absentee application so the Commission receives it by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2026 — earlier is much safer
  3. Step 3: Choose how you want the blank ballot sent — air mail, fax, or email. If you do not choose, the Commission sends it by air mail
  4. Step 4: Complete and sign the ballot affidavit envelope
  5. Step 5: Return it so it is postmarked no later than Election Day and physically reaches the Commission by the receipt deadline
  6. Step 6: Track it with the Commission absentee ballot status checker

Voting by Absentee Ballot

Excuse Required: YES for a ballot by mail; NO for early in-office absentee voting. These are two different things under the same heading in Guam law, and conflating them is the most common mistake.

Under 3 GCA 10101, a qualified Guam voter may vote by absentee ballot if they will be prevented from going to the polls on Election Day because of:

  • The conduct of business or other necessary travel
  • Illness or physical disability
  • Service in the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine of the United States
  • Employment with the government of Guam
  • Attendance at an institution of learning
  • Employment in the service of the United States or any federal agency
  • Accompanying a spouse engaged in any of the above

Under 3 GCA 10107, by contrast, **any qualified voter of Guam may vote during the Early In Office Absentee Voting period** — no excuse, no condition.

Application Deadline: Saturday, October 31, 2026 for an off-island absentee ballot. Reported deadlines for on-island requests are later — in person by Monday, November 2 and by telephone on Election Day itself — but the Commission publishes only the October 31 date, so do not plan around a later one. Call (671) 477-9791 or 1-866-210-8096 to confirm. Absentee Ballot Application

HOMEBOUND VOTERS. If illness or physical disability prevents you voting at the polls, the Commission will come to you by appointment. Homebound service for the general election begins Monday, October 5, 2026. File the absentee application, attach a map to your residence, and give a contact number so the Commission can schedule the visit. Do not leave this to the last week.

HOSPITALISED VOTERS. If you are in hospital on Election Day you may request an absentee ballot. Call (671) 477-9791/2/3 as early as you can.

Ballot Return Deadline — sources disagree, so use the earlier date. Guam is one of the few U.S. jurisdictions that counts absentee ballots arriving after Election Day. Under 3 GCA 10114 the sealed envelope may be delivered to the Commission at its office or its postal address at any time before the polls close, and within ten days after the election, by 5:00 p.m. on the tenth day. NCSL reads that as a receipt deadline of 5:00 p.m. ten days after the election for ballots postmarked by Election Day, which is Friday, November 13,

  1. The Commission’s own 2026 calendar, however, lists its deadline to receive absentee

ballots as 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 18, 2026 — the tenth business day. **Return your ballot so it is postmarked no later than November 3 and in the Commission’s hands by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 13, 2026.** That satisfies every reading. Call (671) 477-9791 if you need the later date to be true for you.

Drop boxes and hand delivery. Guam does not operate ballot drop boxes. You may deliver your sealed absentee envelope by hand to the Guam Election Commission at its Tamuning office — 3 GCA 10114 expressly allows delivery to the main office or postal address. Hand delivery is the only way to return a voted ballot without relying on the mail, and it removes the postmark question entirely.

Early Voting

Early voting is available and requires no excuse. Under 3 GCA 10107 any qualified voter of Guam may vote during the Early In Office Absentee Voting period.

Dates: Thursday, October 8 through Wednesday, October 28, 2026 Days and hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Location: The Westin Resort Guam, Tumon (Mezzanine Level) — the Commission uses a single Early Vote Center, not village sites. Confirm at gec.guam.gov before you travel. Early In Office Absentee Voting details

What to bring: a validly issued photo identification card from a federal, state, Guam secondary school, Guam post-secondary school, or Government of Guam entity. You will complete and sign three items at the centre — an Early In-Office Absentee Voting application, the in-office absentee log book, and an affidavit envelope notarised by Commission staff. Allow time for that.

Accessibility: accessible voting is available during all hours — Commission staff will bring the voting materials out to your car. The universal ExpressVote ballot-marking device is available, voting booths are ADA compliant, and seating is provided.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Step 1: Make sure you are registered — the registration deadline, October 19, falls inside the early-voting window
  2. Step 2: Go to the Early Vote Center at The Westin Resort Guam, Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., between October 8 and October 28
  3. Step 3: Present your photo ID
  4. Step 4: Complete the application, sign the log book, and have your affidavit envelope notarised by Commission staff
  5. Step 5: Cast your ballot

Voting Laws & Legal Resources

Guam elections are governed by Title 3 of the Guam Code Annotated and run by the Guam Election Commission. To vote you must be a U.S. citizen, 18 by Election Day, a resident of Guam domiciled in your district for at least 30 days, not confined to a mental institution, not judicially declared incompetent, and not committed under a sentence of imprisonment. Registration requires a photo ID and documentary proof of U.S. citizenship; online registration additionally requires a Guam driver’s license or Guam ID number.

Guam elections are partisan for the Legislature, the Delegate and the governorship, and nonpartisan for Attorney General, the Guam Education Board and the Consolidated Commission on Utilities. Party nominations were settled at the August 1, 2026 primary.

Recent Law Changes

  • 2025: Public Law 38-58 (Bill No. 154-38) reinstated the requirement for documentary

proof of U.S. citizenship as part of voter registration

  • Impact: the Commission began verifying citizenship documentation in March 2025. A

registrant who previously registered by attestation alone should confirm their record is complete at gec.guam.gov/validate well before October 19.

Voting Rights Law Firms

If You Are Denied the Right to Vote

Know your rights. You have the right to vote if you are eligible. If denied, do NOT leave — ask for a provisional ballot.

Denied Enroute to the Polling Place

  1. Step 1: Contact the Guam Election Commission immediately at (671) 477-9791
  2. Step 2: If transportation is the problem, ask about assistance or alternative arrangements
  3. Step 3: Remember you are entitled under 3 GCA 9127 to two consecutive hours off work, without loss of pay, to vote
  4. Step 4: Call 866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) for additional voting rights support
  5. Step 5: Document the issue and request a written explanation if denied service

Resources:

Emergency Contacts:

  • Guam Election Commission (671) 477-9791 — Primary election authority for Guam
  • 866-OUR-VOTE 1-866-687-8683 — National voting rights hotline

Denied at the Polling Place

  1. Step 1: Ask for a provisional ballot — do not leave without voting one
  2. Step 2: Contact the Guam Election Commission at (671) 477-9791
  3. Step 3: Provide all available identification and documentation
  4. Step 4: Write down the reason you were given, and ask for it in writing
  5. Step 5: Note the cure deadline — Friday, November 13, 2026 — and act before it
  6. Step 6: Call 866-OUR-VOTE for additional support

Provisional Ballot: Guam runs provisional voting under 3 GCA chapter 14, as required by the Help America Vote Act. Three features matter:

  • A provisional ballot cast in the wrong precinct still counts for every race in which you

would have been entitled to vote had you been in the correct precinct. Guam does not throw the whole ballot out.

  • A provisional ballot cures an incomplete or deficient registration. If you are denied a

regular ballot because your registration application was incomplete, the provisional ballot is used to complete it, and you are deemed registered as of the date of your original application.

  • You have ten days to fix what was missing. Provisional voters who lacked required

information — proof of identity, or a signature — get an opportunity to remedy it. For the November 3 election that deadline is Friday, November 13, 2026. The Commission counts valid provisional ballots within ten days and notifies you by mail of the disposition, including the reason if a ballot was not counted.

Resources:

Emergency Contacts:

  • Guam Election Commission (671) 477-9791 — Report polling place issues
  • 866-OUR-VOTE 1-866-687-8683 — National voting rights support

Mail Ballot Denied or Not Received

  1. Step 1: Call the Commission at (671) 477-9791 or toll free 1-866-210-8096 — do not wait for the ballot to turn up
  2. Step 2: Check your absentee ballot status through the Commission tracker
  3. Step 3: If you are on-island, ask whether you can vote early in office instead (October 8 to 28) or at your polling site on November 3
  4. Step 4: Military and overseas voters should use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot through FVAP as a backup
  5. Step 5: Call 866-OUR-VOTE for additional support

Resources:

Emergency Contacts:

  • Guam Election Commission (671) 477-9791 or 1-866-210-8096 — Report mail voting issues
  • 866-OUR-VOTE 1-866-687-8683 — National voting rights hotline

Note on curing an absentee ballot: Guam publishes a cure process for provisional ballots, not for defective absentee envelopes. Sign the affidavit envelope. If you are told your absentee ballot has a problem, contact the Commission the same day.

Absentee Ballot Denied

  1. Step 1: Contact the Commission at (671) 477-9791 to confirm which absentee condition under 3 GCA 10101 you qualify under
  2. Step 2: If you do not meet any of them, remember that early in-office absentee voting needs no excuse — October 8 to 28 at The Westin Resort Guam
  3. Step 3: If illness or disability is the barrier, ask about homebound service, which began October 5
  4. Step 4: Request a written explanation of the denial and the appeal process
  5. Step 5: Call 866-OUR-VOTE for additional assistance

Resources:

Emergency Contacts:

  • Guam Election Commission (671) 477-9791 — Absentee ballot questions and appeals
  • 866-OUR-VOTE 1-866-687-8683 — National voting rights support

Denied During Early Voting

  1. Step 1: Any qualified Guam voter may vote early in office under 3 GCA 10107 — you do not need a reason. Say so
  2. Step 2: Confirm you are registered; the registration deadline of October 19 falls inside the early voting window, so an unregistered voter can still register and then vote early
  3. Step 3: Check that you have a photo ID from an accepted issuer
  4. Step 4: Call the Commission at (671) 477-9791 from the Early Vote Center
  5. Step 5: Call 866-OUR-VOTE if the issue persists, and plan to vote on November 3 as a backstop

Resources:

Emergency Contacts:

  • Guam Election Commission (671) 477-9791 — Early voting eligibility questions
  • 866-OUR-VOTE 1-866-687-8683 — Voting rights assistance

Resources & Contacts

Official State Resources

Note: the domain guamelection.org is no longer the Commission website and now hosts unrelated commercial content. The official site is gec.guam.gov.

National Voting Rights Resources

News Organizations to Contact

Social Media Contacts

  • Guam Election Commission: @guamelection (Instagram — where the Commission posts deadline reminders and polling information)

Sources

This guide was compiled from the following sources:

  • https://gec.guam.gov
  • https://gec.guam.gov/2026-important-dates
  • https://gec.guam.gov/registering-to-vote
  • https://gec.guam.gov/where-to-register
  • https://gec.guam.gov/absentee-voting
  • https://gec.guam.gov/off-island-absentee-voters
  • https://gec.guam.gov/homebound-voters
  • https://gec.guam.gov/early-in-office-absentee-voting
  • https://gec.guam.gov/uocava
  • https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-registration-deadlines
  • https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-11-receipt-and-postmark-deadlines-for-absentee-mail-ballots
  • https://www.usvotefoundation.org/state-voter-information/guam
  • https://www.fvap.gov/guam
  • https://vote.gov/register/guam
  • https://www.eac.gov/guam-voter-info
  • https://law.justia.com/codes/guam/title-3/chapter-14
  • https://guamcourts.gov/CompilerofLaws/GAR/06GAR/06GAR001-1.pdf
  • https://guamlegislature.gov/38th_Guam_Legislature/Public_Laws_38th/Public%20Law%2038-58.pdf
  • https://ballotpedia.org/Guam_gubernatorial_and_lieutenant_gubernatorial_election,_2026
  • https://ballotpedia.org/Guam_Legislature_elections,_2026
  • https://www.guampdn.com/news/2026-primary-election-results-certified-with-few-changes-recount-in-republican-race/article_df7f0029-2071-41ab-a92f-b36e7e1b0592.html
  • https://www.guampdn.com/news/moylan-limtiaco-to-face-off-for-guams-delegate-in-november/article_0922f2b2-5985-495a-abcd-d7c6647dc053.html
  • https://www.guampdn.com/news/whos-first-or-last-on-the-ballot-44-candidates-draw-general-election-numbers/article_cb9dbd9e-7ea0-4743-9257-efa850fc583c.html
  • https://guamcc.edu/gcc-votes-voter-registration-information
  • https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/guam.htm
  • http://www.govguamdocs.com/docs/PassportApplicationInstructions.pdf
  • https://866ourvote.org/

Last Updated: 2026-09-07 | Generated by Patriot Agent Voting Rights Knowledge Base

Verify all information with official government sources before acting.

Corrections

Correction [2026-09-08]: Gave Guam’s voter-registration deadline as 10 days before Election Day. The Guam Election Commission’s own 2026 calendar sets it at 15 days: October 19, 2026. A reader following the published figure would have attempted to register on October 24, nine days after the register closed. Source: https://gec.guam.gov/.

Correction [2026-09-08]: Linked repeatedly to guamelection.org as the Guam Election Commission, including as the contact point for registration and absentee voting. That domain no longer belongs to the Commission and now serves an unrelated commercial content farm. Every reader who followed a link to their election authority was sent off-site. The Commission is at gec.guam.gov. Source: https://gec.guam.gov/.

Correction [2026-09-08]: Stated that Guam mail voting requires no excuse. Guam conditions a mailed absentee ballot on one of seven statutory grounds under 3 GCA section 10101. What requires no excuse is early in-office absentee voting under section 10107 — a different process with different dates. The two were filed under one heading. Source: https://gec.guam.gov/.

Was this article helpful?
0 out of 5 stars
5 Stars 0%
4 Stars 0%
3 Stars 0%
2 Stars 0%
1 Stars 0%
5
Please Share Your Feedback
How Can We Improve This Article?

Related Articles