Candidate supporters line the main streets of Guam near polling booths. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Eleisha Foon
Guam held its primary elections on Saturday.
Voter turnout had been low, with just over 31 percent casting their ballots - despite there being over 60,000 registered voters.
Polling sites were situated across 19 villages in the US territory.
Party supporters for mayors and senators lined the streets outside the main polling areas looking for support from people driving by.
According to the Guam Electoral Commission's unofficial results, the top candidates under the Democratic ticket were Therese Terlaje (9321), Chris Barnet 8405), Joe San Agustin (8183) and Tina Muna Barnes (7851).
While the Republican candidates who received the most votes include Tony Ada (3533), Sabrina Salas Matanane (3174), Frank Blas Jr (3099), and Jesse Lujan (3068)
Indigenous Chamorro voter Larry Dahilig told RNZ Pacific that veteran care influenced the way he voted.
"I have been voting right after I retired from US Navy, I put in 20 years, but it is always good to come out and vote because there is always problems," he said.
He said healthcare in Guam is poor and veterans have to go off-island to Hawaii for better care.
"A lot of the military have to go to Hawaii for their medical treatment, but they could do that here in Guam because the ratio of population of military retirees in Guam is bigger compared to the US [mainland]."
The purpose of the primary election is to reduce the number of democrats and republicans for the general election ballot - and that makes it a party selection. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Eleisha Foon
Nineteen mayors representing each village will be chosen and 15 senators who make up the Legislature of Guam - the law-making body for the United States territory.
Guam's general election will be held on 5 November where voters chose their governor, non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives, attorney general, and all fifteen members of the territorial legislature.
The purpose of the primary election is to reduce the number of Democrats and Republicans for the general election ballot - and that makes it a party selection.
