At the national level, Samoa elects a legislature. The Fono or Legislative Assembly has 49 members elected for a five-year term, 47 members out of the matai (traditional heads of families) six of whom are elected from two-seat constituencies and 35 from single-seat constituencies, and 2 members by the non-Samoan nationals. The head of state is elected for a five-year term by the parliament.
The voting age in Samoa is 21.
Samoa has a two-party system, which means that there are two dominant political parties.
Below is a list of recent by-elections: