Most residents support adopting a local constitution, but a majority remain unaware of the process, according to a new report from the University of Michigan’s Center for Racial Justice and the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras.
The report, based on survey data from 696 residents across St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John, found that 65% of respondents believe it is important for the territory to ratify its own constitution. However, 63% reported little or no awareness of the ongoing Sixth Constitutional Convention, including 38% who had not heard of it at all.
“Most U.S. Virgin Islanders think it’s important for the territory to have its own constitution, but few people are actively aware of the drafting process,” said Ignangeli Salinas-Muñiz, a fellow at the University of Michigan and co-author of the report. “This is a problem, but also an opportunity. Virgin Islanders do want to learn and be more involved in the process. So if the Constitutional Convention reaches out and involves the community more, they could potentially find large public support.”
The report also found that only 43% of respondents said they were somewhat or very likely to vote in the 2027 referendum, raising concerns about turnout. Salinas-Muñiz said the findings suggest the current effort could face similar challenges without stronger outreach, noting that low voter turnout has contributed to the failure of past constitutional efforts.
The report identified disparities in awareness and participation among different groups. Younger residents and those with fewer years of formal education were less likely to be aware of the convention and less likely to say they would vote.
“Not only were younger and those with fewer years of formal education less likely to be aware of the Constitutional Convention, they were also less likely to say they would vote on its ratification,” she said. “For there to be a truly democratic process, outreach to these demographics is very important. The burden should not be on them to actively seek information; it should be made accessible.”
Researchers say the findings point to both a warning and an opportunity: while engagement remains low, interest in self-governance is strong.
“Virgin Islanders care deeply about self-determination,” said Mara Ostfeld, a co-author of the report. “The convention is a powerful opportunity for residents to shape a governing document that reflects their priorities. I hope the months ahead deepen and broaden public engagement.”
The report also found that residents want a constitution that addresses greater local autonomy, environmental protections and measures to reduce government corruption.
Salinas-Muñiz said the report shows both strong public interest and a need for greater outreach ahead of the vote. Salinas-Muñiz said, “Virgin Islanders should take away two things. First, their voices matter — nearly 700 residents shared their views, and those opinions are now part of the public conversation. Second, this process has a much better chance of succeeding with greater community engagement.”
She also said that the University of Michigan, in collaboration with U.S. Virgin Islands leaders, will hold focus groups on St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John between March 28 and April 3, to better understand how residents envision their political, economic and cultural futures. Residents interested in participating can email ismuniz@umich.edu.
Concerns about the Constitutional Convention’s outreach and public awareness are not new. In reporting back from October 2025, delegates such as Imani Daniel publicly urged the convention to do more to inform residents and involve the community. They warned that limited engagement and a lack of informational infrastructure — including no official website, newsletter or dedicated office — hampered efforts to get the public involved in the drafting process. This report appears to echo their warnings.
The first draft of the constitution was completed on Jan. 31, and is currently under review by the convention’s contracted legal counsel to ensure alignment with the U.S. Constitution. Once returned, the draft will be reviewed again by the convention’s committees before being released to the public.
Despite the survey showing that many residents had little or no awareness of the convention’s work, Daniel said she is encouraged by the strong support for a constitution and sees room to grow that support as outreach begins.
“It makes me feel really good that people are generally in favor of a constitution,” she said. “It also feels really good because the majority of people haven’t even heard about the work that we’ve been doing. I imagine that the more that people hear about the work that we’ve been doing, the more support we’ll be able to pick up.”
Daniel added that the numbers offer both optimism and a clear mandate for more outreach. “I’m going to choose to take that optimistically,” she said, “but also still hold us very accountable to the fact that we have done essentially no meaningful public outreach and that we absolutely need to, if we want to let our public know that we exist, that we’ve been doing work, and that there is a constitutional draft on the way.”
Now that drafting is complete, Daniel said, the convention is waiting for legal review before truly beginning mass public engagement. Town halls, school presentations, online materials and other outreach will gather feedback ahead of the February 2027 submission to the new governor and the President of the United States, followed by Congress and a territorywide vote on July 3, 2027.
The report also highlighted key constitutional priorities, including greater local autonomy, stronger environmental protections and provisions to curb government corruption.
“People are going to love our draft. We touch on all of those things,” Daniel said. “I believe all of these lead toward a strong, accountable society, especially given our environment and the connections between the environment, economics and governance. These are areas that may have been lacking structurally in the Virgin Islands, and our constitutional draft tries to intentionally address them. I’m happy to see people naming these priorities, and I think they’ll be excited to see what we’re proposing.”
