Shameful? Dysfunctional? Unproductive? How should Virgin Islanders describe the Board of Elections’ meeting of Thursday, Aug. 7, which quickly devolved into a fracas with members walking out, thereby breaking the quorum. According to media reports, the session was so chaotic that the meeting’s stenographer had to plead with the Board members to cease shouting over each other so that she could record who was speaking and what was being said.
Nothing on the agenda was accomplished within those 90 minutes, except an embarrassing display of petulant and contentious behavior by a group of elected adults, charged with doing the people’s business. And, indeed, there were important matters that needed to be addressed in advance of presentations to be given at the Legislature by the Board Chair on Bill No 36-0073 and by the Supervisor of Elections on their status and operations. One can only wonder what the Supervisor could truthfully report to the senators about “status and operations.”
Not only was the meeting of Aug. 7 a waste of time, it was a waste of taxpayers’ money. One board member flew to St. Croix for the meeting which, due to no fault of his own, was cancelled when some members walked out, thereby breaking the quorum.
Interestingly, a member of the V.I. Constitutional Committee who attended the meeting on Aug. 7 pledged to write a constitution that would help address challenges of the current election system. If only that was the help they really needed. The League of Women Voters of the Virgin Islands (LWV V.I.) is of the opinion that what is most needed at this time is not yet another set of laws. Instead, there may be both long- and short-term remedies to consider so that the Board can finally function in fulfillment of its responsibilities. The LWV V.I. offers some short- and long-term suggestions for consideration below.
To begin with the short-term, the first is one that could be accomplished by the Board itself. Specifically, Board members have had time since Aug. 7 to reflect on that infamous meeting and should have begun to think about how future meetings must be conducted in order to fulfill the responsibilities for which they were elected. They should have also vowed to focus on correcting the ways in which they interact with each other. But, can they? Did they? As no information has been released in this regard, the LWV V.I. suggests that in the short term, the Board should immediately seek training for its members on how to conduct productive meetings; how to handle and resolve differences of opinions; how to speak with civility to each other; how to focus on and fulfill their mandates; how to plan. To do this, we suggest short-term training for both the Board and the System with emphasis on the suggestions we have listed above.
In the long-term, LWV V.I. encourages the voters to become adept at vetting candidates. We must insist that candidates provide evidence of their ability to work collaboratively with others. There was a time in V.I. history when this fix did occur. “Back in the day,” similar disruptive behaviors were common on the floor of the V.I. Legislature. Eventually, disgusted voters moved to replace the disrupters with individuals who were focused on working collaboratively with their colleagues for the betterment of the territory. Yes, the irascible and contentious were voted out and better replacements were voted in. That was the long-term fix. We can do it again. We must.
In the last election period (2024), the LWV V.I. interviewed candidates for seats on the Boards of Election and Education for the first time in its televised programs. Due to insufficient funding, we were unable to pay for televised shows that were longer than 30 minutes for the boards. Clearly, more attention must be given to the candidates for these positions. The League looks to the community to partner with us in such future endeavors. Visit our website at www.lwvvi.org.
Until voters again have the opportunity to demonstrate their disappointment by their vote (the long-term fix), consideration must be given to the League’s short-term suggestion or the suggestions of others for both short- and long-term fixes, as these behaviors of Aug. 7 are NOT acceptable for an entity that is essential to our democracy as is the Board of Elections.
Finally, the League reminds everyone that as a democracy with a republican form of government, we depend on an election system and the Elections Board to develop election policies, rules and regulations, and to implement trustworthy elections. Voters, let your voices be heard regarding your dissatisfaction. Insist that the Board of Elections honor the trust placed in them by your vote. Remember: in a democracy the voter is in the driver’s seat. Take charge!
— Submitted on behalf of the League of Women Voters of the USVI, by Gwen-Marie Moolenaar, President
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
