Voters between the ages of 55 and 64 cast more ballots during the 2026 Primary Election’s early voting period than any other age group, accounting for 1,790 of the 7,113 votes recorded across the territory.
They were followed by voters ages 65 to 74, who cast 1,510 ballots, and those 75 and older, who contributed 1,369. The 45-to-54 group recorded 1,105 votes, followed by ages 35 to 44 with 713, ages 25 to 34 with 417 and ages 18 to 24 with 209.
Combined, voters 55 and older cast 4,669 ballots, representing approximately 65.6 percent of the early vote. Expanding the group to voters 45 and older brings the total to 5,774, or about 81.2 percent of all early ballots.
The reports do not show how many registered voters fall within each age group, meaning they do not establish the participation rate among eligible voters of each age. They do, however, show that the electorate that voted before Election Day was weighted heavily toward older residents.
For candidates, the pattern means campaigns with their strongest support among older voters may have already secured more of their potential vote during the early period. Candidates depending more heavily on younger voters could have greater ground to make up on Election Day. The reports contain no candidate-choice data, however, and therefore do not show which campaign benefited from the age distribution.
The 55-to-64 group led the count individually on both St. Croix and St. Thomas, with 872 and 866 voters, respectively. On St. John, voters ages 65 to 74 posted the highest count with 53, narrowly ahead of both the 55-to-64 and 75-and-older groups, which recorded 52 each.
At the youngest end of the electorate, St. Croix recorded 110 early voters ages 18 to 24 and 223 between 25 and 34. St. Thomas recorded 95 and 190, respectively, while St. John recorded four voters in each of those two age groups.
St. Thomas Posts Highest Overall Rate; St. Croix Leads by 17 Votes
The Elections System reported 20,922 active registered voters territorywide, with 34 percent participating during early voting, which ended Wednesday, July 29.
St. Croix cast the largest number of ballots with 3,461, only 17 more than the 3,444 recorded on St. Thomas. St. John contributed 208.
Based on registered-voter and turnout totals in the precinct reports, St. Thomas recorded the highest districtwide participation rate at approximately 35.3 percent. St. Croix followed at about 33.2 percent, while St. John recorded approximately 28.1 percent.
West End Leads Territory by Percentage
The West End Precinct on St. Thomas recorded the territory’s highest early-voting percentage, with 521 of its 1,278 registered voters participating, or 41 percent.
Annas Retreat followed at 38 percent, with 622 of 1,654 registered voters casting early ballots. Estate Tutu recorded 37 percent, with 232 of 624 voters participating.
North Look and Charlotte Amalie each posted 35 percent. North Look recorded 399 ballots from 1,149 registered voters, while Charlotte Amalie generated the largest raw precinct total in the territory, with 644 ballots from 1,845 registered voters.
Altona and Welgunst recorded 601 votes from 1,789 registered voters, or 34 percent. Frenchman’s Reef reached 33 percent with 227 of 694 voters, while East End posted the lowest percentage on St. Thomas at 28 percent, with 198 of 710 registered voters participating.
Malcom Plaskett Leads St. Croix by Percentage
On St. Croix, the Malcolm Plaskett Precinct recorded the island’s highest early-voting rate at 37 percent, with 357 of 965 registered voters casting ballots.
The Corrine Plaskett Precinct followed at 36 percent with 367 votes from 1,017 registered voters. John Abramson Jr. recorded 35 percent, with 384 of 1,085 voters participating.
Usie R. Richards and Dodson K. James precincts each recorded 34 percent. Usie R. Richards reported 356 votes from 1,042 registered voters, while Dodson K. James recorded 417 from 1,232.
The Evelyn Messer James Precinct produced St. Croix’s largest raw count, with 467 of its 1,410 registered voters participating, representing 33 percent.
Rupert W. Ross Jr. Precinct recorded 339 ballots from 1,105 voters, or 31 percent, while Carmen M. Golden also posted 31 percent with 370 votes from 1,176 registered voters.
Eulalie R. Rivera Precinct recorded 200 votes from 687 registered voters, or 29 percent. Adelbert M. Bryan posted St. Croix’s lowest percentage at 28 percent, with 204 of 720 registered voters casting early ballots.
Coral Bay Leads St. John by Percentage
Coral Bay recorded St. John’s highest percentage, with 47 of its 151 registered voters participating, or 31 percent.
Cruz Bay produced the larger raw count, with 161 of 589 registered voters casting early ballots, representing 27 percent.
Voting Centers Open Saturday
Supervisor of Elections Caroline F. Fawkes encouraged residents who did not vote early to cast their ballots on Primary Election Day. Voting centers will operate Saturday, August 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
On St. Croix, the voting centers are the D.C. Canegata Recreation Center, St. Joseph Church Hospitality Lounge and Claude O. Markoe Elementary School Auditorium.
St. John voters may use Julius Sprauve School Elementary or Guy Benjamin School.
The St. Thomas centers are Charlotte Amalie High School’s Sprung structure, the Elridge Blake Sports and Fitness Center at the University of the Virgin Islands and the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School cafeteria.
Fawkes thanked voters, Elections System staff, Board of Elections members, election officials and supporting agencies for their work during early voting and for helping to ensure voters’ safety.
“If you don’t vote, you lose your right to complain.”
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