48 U.S.C. § 1595 — Vacancy in office of Governor or Lieuten-

Page 155 TITLE 48—TERRITORIES AND INSULAR POSSESSIONS § 1596 (2) ‘‘voter’’ means a registered voter who is eligible to vote on the issue or for the office involved. (July 22, 1954, ch. 558, § 12, 68 Stat. 503; Pub. L. 90–496, § 5, Aug. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 838; Pub. L. 99–396, § 1, Aug. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 837.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1986—Pub. L. 99–396 amended section generally, sub- stituting provisions giving people of Virgin Islands the rights of initiative and recall and spelling out ways in which those rights are to be exercised for provisions which had formerly only set out a method for removal of Governor by referendum election. 1968—Pub. L. 90–496 substituted provisions author- izing the removal of the Governor from office by a re- call referendum for provisions authorizing the appoint- ment of a Government Secretary for the Virgin Islands, and provisions setting forth his powers and duties. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1968 AMENDMENT Amendment of provisions of section necessary to au- thorize the holding of an election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor on Nov. 3, 1970, effective Jan. 1, 1970, and all other amendments of provisions of section, unless otherwise expressly provided by Pub. L. 90–496, effective Jan. 4, 1971, see section 16 of Pub. L. 90–496, set out as a note under section 1591 of this title. § 1594. Repealed. Pub. L. 90–496, § 6, Aug. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 839 Section, act July 22, 1954, ch. 558, § 13, 68 Stat. 503, au- thorized the Governor to appoint an administrative as- sistant to reside in St. Croix and an administrative as- sistant to reside in St. John. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF REPEAL Pub. L. 90–496, § 6, Aug. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 839, provided in part that the repeal of this section is effective on the date of enactment of Pub. L. 90–496, which was approved Aug. 23, 1968. § 1595. Vacancy in office of Governor or Lieuten- ant Governor (a) Temporary disability or temporary absence of Governor In case of the temporary disability or tem- porary absence of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor shall have the powers of the Governor. (b) Permanent vacancy in office of Governor; Lieutenant Governor as Governor; term of of- fice In case of a permanent vacancy in the office of Governor, arising by reason of the death, res- ignation, removal by recall or permanent dis- ability of the Governor, or the death, resigna- tion, or permanent disability of a Governor- elect, or for any other reason, the Lieutenant Governor or Lieutenant Governor-elect shall be- come the Governor, to hold office for the unex- pired term and until he or his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified at the next regular election for Governor. (c) Temporary disability or temporary absence of Lieutenant Governor; president of legislature as Lieutenant Governor In case of the temporary disability or tem- porary absence of the Lieutenant Governor, or during any period when the Lieutenant Gov- ernor is acting as Governor, the president of the legislature shall act as Lieutenant Governor. (d) Permanent vacancy in office of Lieutenant Governor; Governor to appoint new Lieuten- ant Governor with advice and consent of leg- islature; term of office In case of a permanent vacancy in the office of Lieutenant Governor, arising by reason of the death, resignation, or permanent disability of the Lieutenant Governor, or because the Lieu- tenant Governor or Lieutenant Governor-elect has succeeded to the office of Governor, the Gov- ernor shall appoint a new Lieutenant Governor, with the advice and consent of the legislature, to hold office for the unexpired term and until he or his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified at the next regular election for Lieutenant Governor. (e) Temporary disability or temporary absence of Governor and Lieutenant Governor; appoint- ment of Acting Governor; permanent vacan- cies in offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor; appointment of Governor In case of the temporary disability or tem- porary absence of both the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor, the powers of the Gov- ernor shall be exercised, as Acting Governor, by such person as the laws of the Virgin Islands may prescribe. In case of a permanent vacancy in the offices of both the Governor and Lieuten- ant Governor, the office of Governor shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner pre- scribed by the laws of the Virgin Islands. (f) Additional compensation No additional compensation shall be paid to any person acting as Governor or Lieutenant Governor who does not also assume the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor under the pro- visions of this chapter. (July 22, 1954, ch. 558, § 14, 68 Stat. 504; Pub. L. 90–496, § 7(a), Aug. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 839.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1968—Pub. L. 90–496 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted provisions that in case of the temporary disability or temporary absence of the Gov- ernor, the Lieutenant Governor shall have the powers of the Governor for provisions that in case of a vacancy in the office of Governor or the disability of the Gov- ernor or the temporary absence of the Governor, the Government Secretary shall have all the powers of the Governor, and added subsecs. (b) to (f). Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1968 AMENDMENT Amendment of provisions of section necessary to au- thorize the holding of an election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor on Nov. 3, 1970, effective Jan. 1, 1970, and all other amendments of provisions of section, unless otherwise expressly provided by Pub. L. 90–496, effective Jan. 4, 1971, see section 16 of Pub. L. 90–496, set out as a note under section 1591 of this title. § 1596. Repealed. Pub. L. 104–186, title II, § 224(3), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1752 Section, act July 22, 1954, ch. 558, § 15, as added May 27, 1975, Pub. L. 94–26, § 2, 89 Stat. 94, related to clerk