Guam Election Commission prepares for 2024 election cycle

With less than a year away, the Guam Election Commission (GEC) begins preparations for the 2024 primary elections.

There are only 260 days left before the primary election in 2024. While to most it seems like a long time, the GEC is already in prep mode.

GEC’s Executive Director, Maria Pangelinan says, “July 1 is our in-house start of preparing for the 2024 election cycle.”

One key aspect of the preparation involves checking tabulation equipment, especially in the aftermath of Typhoon Mawar.

Pangelinan explained, "So we had Mawar–we immediately contacted our vendor, and we had them come out and check the tabulation equipment. We had them check it out, especially for water–for whatever damage or whatever; everything is A-OK."

The positive assessment of the tabulation equipment is crucial as the GEC gears up for major operations during the election.

Pangelinan noted, "On the election ballot, we will have the congressional delegate, we will have the senators, we will have the mayors and vice mayors–and I have to let you know that because there are more candidates for mayors and vice-mayors, it’s normally operationally, a little bit more difficult."

One notable change in the election timeline is the shift of the primary election from the last Saturday of August to the first Saturday of the month.

 Pangelinan clarified, "We’ve asked the legislature to push it ahead because we need more time between the primary and the general to prepare for the general. So the primary election is August 3rd, and the general election is November 5th."

Voter registration is ongoing on gec.guam.gov.

A current Guam ID or current Guam driver’s license is required for this process.