VOTING RIGHTS

WHEREAS, the residents of Guam and the Virgin Islands are citizens of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of Guam and the Virgin Islands do not have the right to vote for the President of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the right to vote is one of the most precious rights of U.S. citizens; and

WHEREAS, the AFT and the AFL-CIO are very actively involved in political activities including voter registration campaigns; and

WHEREAS, there are over 1,600 AFT members in Guam and over 1,000 in the Virgin Islands; and

WHEREAS, there are over 4,000 AFL-CIO members in Guam and a considerable number of others in the Virgin Islands; and

WHEREAS, the people of these territories desire to vote in presidential elections; and

WHEREAS, the non-voting delegates in the House of Representatives from Guam and the Virgin Islands have introduced a resolution urging extension of presidential voting rights to U.S. territories:

RESOLVED, that the AFT take whatever measures possible to promote legislation to extend the right to vote for President of the United States to all citizens of the United States wherever they may reside; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT support a similar resolution at the AFL-CIO Convention; and

RESOLVED, a copy of this resolution be sent to the Governor of Guam, the Governor of the Virgin Islands, the Legislature of Guam, the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, and all AFT locals whose members reside outside the fifty states. (Executive Council)