7,334 Virgin Islanders Voted Early Ahead Of Tuesday’s Runoff Election

Virgin Islanders are showing strong involvement in this year’s election. On Saturday and Sunday, 7,334 citizens voted early, the Election System of the Virgin Islands said in a release issued late Sunday.

The breakdown is as follows: 3,646 in St. Thomas, 3,340 in St. Croix and 3,48 in St. John.

Electors who were unable to cast their ballot during early voting will have another opportunity to do so on election day, scheduled for Tuesday, November 20. Polls will open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Voters are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the voting machine or the voting process before election day.

The runoff election is a hotly contested battle to the end between Governor Kenneth Mapp and candidate for Governor Albert Bryan. Mr. Bryan bested Mr. Mapp during the November 6 General Election by just over 1,000 votes, ending the night with 37.93 percent to Mr. Mapp’s 33.71 percent. According to Virgin Islands law, a candidate must collect 50 plus 1 of the votes during a general election to win. If no candidate garners the requisite percentage, the two candidates coming out on top are to then battle to the end in a runoff election that takes place 14 days later.

In the runoff, the candidates start anew, although the team coming out of the general election at the top carries the momentum. Mr. Bryan has capitalized on this, and has scored a number of endorsements, including that of Senator Alicia Hansen and Adlah Donastorg. But the Mapp-Potter camp has not given up, and has so far waged a relentless campaign during the runoff campaigning period.

Registered voters territory-wide:

St. Croix