No. 19-827October Term 2019Decided May 4, 2020
Territory of Guam v. Davis
This case involves a challenge to a Guam law that restricted a plebiscite on the territory's political status to only "Native Inhabitants of Guam," which the lower courts found violated the Fifteenth Amendment's prohibition on racial discrimination in voting.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released May 4, 2020
- What it's about
This case involves a challenge to a Guam law that restricted a plebiscite on the territory's political status to only "Native Inhabitants of Guam," which the lower courts found violated the Fifteenth Amendment's prohibition on racial discrimination in voting.
Question presented
Whether the Ninth Circuit erred in holding that Guam’s use of the term “Native Inhabitants of Guam” to define the electorate for a non-binding plebiscite on Guam’s future political status is a proxy for race that violates the Fifteenth Amendment.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Decision released May 4, 2020
- Area
Civil Rights
Documents
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 31, 2026
- Method
- Methodology