2010 American Samoan constitutional referendum

none January 2025 November 2, 2010 American Samoa Do you approve the 2010 amendments to the revised constitution of American Samoa? 3257 7660 16144 A constitutional referendum was held in American Samoa on November 2, 2010, on the same day of the United States House of Representatives election and American Samoan general election. Voters voted on amendments to the Constitution of American Samoa which had been approved by a Constitutional convention held from June 21 through July 2, 2010,Government of American Samoa, p. 20 the 4th such convention. The changes were ultimately rejected by a majority of over 4,000 votes.http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=21505 Faleomavaega wins 12th election to Congress November 4, 2010 Associated Press November 5, 2010 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110716025015/http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=21505 July 16, 2011 Proposed changes There were a total of 34 or 39http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=56697 Faleomavaega doubts success of federal law challenge in American Samoa October 28, 2010 Radio New Zealand November 3, 2010 proposed amendments to the Constitution. At a Constitutional convention in the middle of 2010, the subject of autonomy for American Samoa was discussed, with the issue being raised by the territory's non-voting member in the United States House of Representatives, Eni Faleomavaega.http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=54201 American Samoa call for autonomy referendum June 16, 2010 Radio New Zealand October 18, 2010 Resulting from this, the proposed Constitution replaced all mentions of "Government of American Samoa" with "American Samoa Government".Government of American Samoa, pp. 6–16 Additionally, a paragraph in the preamble to the Constitution was proposed to be changed to reflect that American Samoans should "have and enjoy certain rights ... including the right to local self-government".Government of American Samoa, p. 5 Furthermore, if the changes were accepted, any federal American law seen as being harmful to the economy of the territory or the welfare of American Samoans could be blocked by the Fono.http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=56776 American Samoa votes November 2, 2010 November 3, 2010 Radio New Zealand Other proposed changes to the Constitution included expanding the American Samoa House of Representatives from 20 members (plus one non-voting member from Swains Island) to 25 (plus one), and the American Samoa Senate from 18 to 22 members.Government of American Samoa, p. 9 The power of the Governor of American Samoa's veto would have changed with the introduction of veto override into the Constitution, whereby a bill passed by a two-thirds majority by both houses of the American Samoa Fono within 14 months of an original veto will become law immediately.Government of American Samoa, p. 13 As the referendum failed, any vetoed law re-passed by the Fono still requires further approval by the Governor or the United States Secretary of the Interior. A prior referendum on the issue in 2008 failed by 112 votes, after original results showed a mere 22-vote margin.http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2142 Fili Sagapolutele Election 2008 – Unfinished Business October 18, 2010 Samoa News https://web.archive.org/web/20110717135414/http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2142 2011-07-17 dead The revised draft included a proposal to effect an order of succession should the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa be vacant.Government of American Samoa, pp. 16–17 The new Constitution would have also provided a Samoan language curriculum in the territory's educational system, and introduced a system for post-secondary education to American Samoa.Government of American Samoa, p. 8 Additionally, it would have established a Public Utilities and Services Commission for the territory, and mandated the enforcement of immigration laws "in order to protect the Samoan culture, lands and way of life".Government of American Samoa, p. 18 Electoral system Despite there being between 30 and 40 different proposed changes to the constitution approved at the constitutional convention all changes were put to a public vote in a single-question referendum. Voters only had the choice to approve all or reject all the proposals, and could not vote on each one individually,http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=19844&edition=1287309600 https://web.archive.org/web/20110717135453/http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=19844&edition=1287309600 dead July 17, 2011 Gov dismisses claims he is responsible for one-question referendum Fili Sagapolutele October 17, 2010 October 18, 2010 Samoa News resulting in criticism from voters. Governor Togiola Tulafono was accused of presenting it as a single question in the poll because he wanted approval for all the changes, a charge he denied. The decision to put all the changes on the ballot as a single question had been made by the chief elections officer, who claimed it was "the simplest way to put the question to voters." The ballot contained the following sole question, printed in both English and Samoan in bold, block letters: "Do you approve the 2010 amendments to the Revised Constitution of American Samoa?" Voters had a choice of voting "yes" or "no".http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=20214 ELECTION UPDATE: Sample ballot for referendum released Fili Sagapolutele Samoa News November 3, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20110717135511/http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=20214 2011-07-17 dead Campaign Limited public campaigning took place on the issue of rejecting the constitutional referendum. In Tualauta County in the Western District, the most heavily populated county in American Samoa, there was reportedly concentrated lobbying against the referendum, which was defeated by 609 votes. The only other public campaigning occurred in Utulei and Tafuna, where a number of residents campaigned against the vote with an advertisement which centered around the decision of the chief elections officer to group all the proposed changes together. The advertisement complained that the amendments "should have been separated, item by item and placed individually on the ballot; they weren't."http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=20397&edition=1288778400 https://web.archive.org/web/20110717135520/http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=20397&edition=1288778400 dead July 17, 2011 Voters strongly reject constitutional revisions Fili Sagapolutele November 3, 2010 Samoa News November 5, 2010 Results Voters rejected the amendments to the Constitution in all 17 electoral districts of American Samoa as well as in the absentee ballot poll. 3257 7660 16144 Direct Democracy References External links pdf Final Draft of 2010 Amendments to the 1967 Revised Constitution of American Samoa http://americansamoa.gov/sites/default/files/concon/Final_Draft.pdf Government of American Samoa October 18, 2010 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110716140622/http://americansamoa.gov/sites/default/files/concon/Final_Draft.pdf July 16, 2011 Constitutional American American Category:Constitutional amendments Constitutional Category:Constitutional referendums in American Samoa Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results