St. Croix residents lined up to vote early at the Elections System Office on St. Croix on Oct. 10, 2022. By. ERNICE GILBERT/ V.I. CONSORTIUM
The first day of early voting in the territory has been deemed a success as nearly 1,000 Virgin Islanders cast their ballots on Monday.
According to the Elections System of the Virgin Islands, a total of 929 people voted early on Monday territory-wide, with St. Thomas leading by just two votes with 453, followed by St. Croix with 451, and St. John with 25, according to the Elections System.
Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes reminded that early voting continues Tuesday and will run through October 31.
Voting hours on St. Croix and St. Thomas are from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Voting hours on St. John are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The early voting locations are:
- District of St. Croix Elections Office-Sunny Isle Shopping Center Unit 26
- District of St Croix- St. Joseph Church Hospitality Lounge
- District of St. Thomas-St. John- St. Thomas- Lockhart Gardens (Upstairs Banco Popular)
- District of St. Thomas-St. John- St. Thomas-Tutu Park Mall (former Scotia Bank location)
- District of St. Thomas-St. John – Market Place Suite II
“Your voice is your vote and your vote is your voice," Ms. Fawkes stated.
Supporters of Governor Albert Bryan and Lt. Governor Tregeza Roach, and Senators Kurt Vialet and Janelle Sarauw, were out in both districts electioneering on the first day of early voting, the idea being to boost support for their respective teams.
On St. Croix, Senatorial Candidate Marise James was among the first to cast her vote at the Elections System's office. "I asked a few people when they came, and they said that they didn't like the crowds, they wanted to get it out of the way, and I'm really encouraged by the amount of people I'm seeing here already from 9:00 a.m.," she said.
The Consortium visited the Elections System of the V.I. headquarters on St. Croix Monday to witness early voting, and the major takeaway was that Ms. Fawkes and her team operate a professional and transparent organization that makes the process of voting as seamless as possible.
