Legislative elections were held in
American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...
on 7 November 1972, alongside a
referendum on electing the Governor.
Current Problems in American Samoa
', United States Congress, pp. 103–112
Results
Successful candidates in the Senate election included
Tago Ativalu,
Talio Magalei and
Fainu'ulelei S. Utu.
Aftermath
Following the elections, Governor
John Morse Haydon
John Morse Haydon (January 27, 1920 – April 18, 1991) was the governor of the American Samoa from 1969 to 1974. Haydon attended the University of Washington. He served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force during World War II and ...
was called before a Civil Service Commission tribunal, having been charged with attempting to influence the elections by telling voters not to vote for non-Samoan candidates (of which there was only one in the election, Wilbur Reine in
Manu'a).
"Tough for big fish"
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', October 1973, p. 14. When interviewed on the WVUV radio station prior to the elections, Haydon had said he could not give his views on individual candidates as he was bound by the Hatch Act
The Hatch Act of 1939, An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, is a United States federal law. Its main provision prohibits civil service employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the president and vice pre ...
, but that he thought it would be a "very serious mistake" for voters to elect a non-Samoan during the transition to self-government.[ The tribunal ruled that Haydon had not violated the Hatch Act as the intervention was limited to a single interview and had not used his influence over subordinates, and that in borderline cases the First Amendment required ruling in favor of the defendant.][
]
References
{{American Samoan elections
Elections in American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...
1972 in American Samoa