The U.S. House has 435 voting members, one from each congressional district. It also has a small number of non-voting members who represent places that are not states. These are the delegates from the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories, plus the resident commissioner from Puerto Rico. They take part in the work of the House, but they cannot vote on the final passage of bills on the House floor.
Who the non-voting members are
There are six non-voting members in the House. One represents the District of Columbia. The others represent the territories: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico. Each is elected by the people of that place, the same way a Representative is elected by a district.
What they can do
Non-voting members do much of what other House members do. They introduce bills, serve on committees, vote in committee, speak in debate, and provide casework for the people they represent. Within committees, their votes count. They advocate for the needs of their communities and bring local concerns to the federal government.
What they cannot do
The main limit is the final floor vote. A non-voting delegate cannot cast a vote on the final passage of a bill before the full House. Because the territories and the District of Columbia are not states, they do not have the same voting representation that the 435 districts have, and they have no members in the Senate. This is a long-running subject of debate about representation.
How this differs from a voting district
A voting Representative comes from one of the 435 congressional districts within a state and can vote on every measure on the House floor. A non-voting delegate represents a territory or the District of Columbia and cannot. For more on how districts and voting representation work, see What Is a Congressional District?
How they are elected and serve
Non-voting members are elected by the people of their territory or district the same way a Representative is, and most serve two-year terms. The resident commissioner of Puerto Rico serves a four-year term. Like other members, they keep offices, hire staff, and answer to the voters who elected them. Together they bring the concerns of several million Americans who live outside the 50 states to the House.
An ongoing debate about representation
Because the District of Columbia and the territories pay many federal taxes and are subject to federal law but have no vote on final passage and no senators, their representation has been debated for decades. At times the House has allowed delegates to vote in the Committee of the Whole, a procedural stage, though not on final passage. Supporters of change argue for fuller voting rights or, for the District of Columbia, statehood. Others argue against changing the current arrangement, and the debate continues in Congress and the courts.
The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is represented by a Resident Commissioner rather than a delegate. The role is similar, with one difference in length: the Resident Commissioner serves a four-year term, while the five delegates serve two years like House members. Puerto Rico is the most populous territory, with more residents than about 20 states, yet its single Resident Commissioner cannot vote on final passage of a bill. The office still sits on committees and speaks on the House floor.
How a non-voting member can still shape a law
A delegate cannot cast the deciding vote on a bill, but the job carries real influence. Delegates introduce legislation, offer amendments, question witnesses in hearings, and vote in the committees where bills are written. They press federal agencies for funding and attention to their territories, and they build alliances with voting members who can carry a priority across the floor. Much of the work of Congress happens in committee, where delegates do have a vote.
Territories and federal law
People in the territories are U.S. citizens, except in American Samoa, where most are U.S. nationals. They serve in the military, pay many federal taxes, and live under federal laws passed by a Congress in which they have no voting representative. That gap is the heart of the long debate over the territories. It is also why the delegate, even without a floor vote, is the main federal voice for several million Americans.
Finding and contacting your delegate
If you live in the District of Columbia or one of the five territories, the House directory at house.gov lists your delegate or resident commissioner, and this site has a page for each one. Even without a floor vote, that member runs a full constituent office. They help residents deal with federal agencies, passports, immigration cases, and veterans’ benefits, the same casework a voting representative handles. You can reach them through their Washington office or a local office in the territory. For several million Americans, this is their one direct line to the federal government.
Each of the six seats has its own page here, with the current officeholder, committee assignments, and contact details:
- District of Columbia, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton
- Puerto Rico, Resident Commissioner Pablo Jose Hernandez
- Guam, Delegate James Moylan
- U.S. Virgin Islands, Delegate Stacey Plaskett
- American Samoa, Delegate Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen
- Northern Mariana Islands, Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds
To find your district and representative, use the lookup on the home page.
Last updated August 13, 2026.
Data last checked September 7, 2026.
