Board of Elections Extends Absentee Voting Until Monday

The Board of Elections, St. Thomas-St. John District on Saturday, November 15, approved a measure to extend absentee voting in advance of Tuesday’s run-off election for governor, on St. John.

The district elections board on Saturday Nov. 15 also agreed to allow newly registered voters wishing to take part in the run-off election to submit provisional ballots. That decision was reached after elections officials heard objections from Attorney General Vincent Frazer.

Frazer was responding to press reports, following a meeting of the joint elections board on Thursday, Nov. 13. At that meeting members voted not to allow those who registered after Nov. 4 to vote in the run-off. The attorney general said to deny some qualified new voters that right would be to disenfranchise them.

The filing of provisional ballots gives elections officials an opportunity to check the qualifications of the voter after the ballot is cast and before adding that vote to the overall count.

Those who wish to vote can do so at the St. John Elections Systems office, west of the Cruz Bay traffic circle, next to O’Connor’s Jeep Rental, starting at about 12 noon on Monday, according to election officials.

About 10 St. John residents came to the elections office to submit absentee ballots earlier that day, Board of Elections member Alecia Wells said at the Saturday meeting of the district board. Wells said Monday’s absentee balloting will begin later in the day, to allow poll workers to report for duty.

Absentee ballots are available to qualified voters who will not be present on the day of the election, Tuesday Nov. 18, but wish to exercise their civic duty. They are asked to bring their voter’s registration card with them when they vote.