While thousands of Virgin Islanders voted early, those who prefer to cast their ballots on Election Day can do so starting at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, when the polls will open on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.
New this year, the Elections System of the Virgin Islands has replaced traditional neighborhood-based precincts with voting centers. Voters may cast their ballots at any voting center on their island, regardless of their residential address.
On St. Croix, voting centers are located at the D.C. Canegata Recreation Center, St. Dunstan’s Episcopal School auditorium, the St. Croix Central High School modular gymnasium, the St. Croix Educational Complex gymnasium, and the Arthur A. Richards K-8 School modular cafeteria.
On St. Thomas, voters may cast their ballots at the University of the Virgin Islands Elridge Blake Sports and Fitness Center, the Charlotte Amalie High School gymnasium, Tutu Park Mall at the former Scotia Bank location, and the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School cafeteria.
On St. John, voting centers are located at the Julius E. Sprauve School cafeteria and the Calabash Boom Community Center.
The polls will close at 7 p.m. Those who requested absentee ballots must return them by email or in person by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The deadline for mail-in ballots is 5 p.m. on Nov. 18.
Results will be streamed live via www.vivote.gov, facebook.com/wtjx, and facebook.com/vivote.gov, the Elections System said. Official election updates can be found at www.vivote.gov.
Should there be a need for a runoff election, it will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 22, with early voting on Nov. 19 and 20, according to the Elections System.
U.S. Attorney Delia Smith has appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston to serve as the District Election Officer for the Virgin Islands, responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of election-day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud.
Additionally, the FBI will have special agents available to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. On St. Thomas, FBI special agents can be reached at 340-777-3363, and on St. Croix at 340-712-3400. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
A total of 11,849 people — or 30 percent of the 39,876 registered voters — cast their ballots during early voting, which ran from Oct. 10-31. That includes 5,518 people on St. Thomas, 5,963 on St. Croix, and 368 on St. John, according to the Elections System.
For any questions or concerns, contact the Elections offices at 340-773-1021 on St. Croix or 340-774-3107 on St. Thomas. Visit www.vivote.gov for more information.