According to information confirmed by the supporters of the Election (Amendment) Act 2019, under the new system, paper ballots will still be used, but after voters cast their ballots the votes will be scanned and tabulated electronically, saving time. Photo: VINO/File

Supervisor of Elections Ms Juliette Penn. Photo: GIS

Outgoing and ‘lame duck’ Premier and mover of the Bill, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL) claimed in the HoA—when he introduced the amendments—that “the supervisor of elections has assured me that education about the use of the new scanner and tabulator will continue leading up to the elections.” Photo: Facebook

The new amendments will be used for the first time in the Monday, February 25, 2019, General Elections, in the British Overseas Territory of the Virgin Islands (VI).  

Lots of discussion in committee

After hours of deliberating in a Committee of the whole House of Assembly (HoA), legislators passed the amendments to the Election Act on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

The Amendments is to facilitate electronic counting on Election Day and eliminate the need to count ballots by hand, taking hours and sometimes going into the wee hours of the morning of the next day.

According to information confirmed by the supporters of the Election (Amendment) Act 2019, under the new system, paper ballots will still be used, but after voters cast their ballots, the votes will be scanned and tabulated electronically, saving time.

This will apply to both district voting and At-Large seats according to two senior Legislators speaking to our newsroom on condition of anonymity.

Dr Smith failure

It is a “counting system not a system to vote electorally and it’s sad that Dr Smith did not properly explain this to the people of the Territory,” one elected Member stated.

However, the paper ballots will be there so “they will have to reconcile with what the machine counted” the Member stated.

However, outgoing and ‘lame duck’ Premier and mover of the Bill, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL) claimed in the HoA—when he introduced the amendments—that “the supervisor of elections has assured me that education about the use of the new scanner and tabulator will continue leading up to the elections.”

While the Smith regime's record on press freedom remains suspect, they are yet to make the Bill or what was passed, known to the public. It is unclear, if other provisions were made; for example, to allow for more people to vote at advance polls, inmates at Her Majesty’s Prison to vote, and regular residents travelling before the elections date to participate in the early Friday voting.

Bill with Governor

The same Bill had an amendment imposing a code of conduct on political parties and candidates and it is not known, if those made the final Bill to be signed by Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert. 

Speaking moments ago to a senior government source—who was not authorised to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity— they told our news centre that “the Bill went to the Governor today [January 25, 2019] for his signature (royal assent)” and “It will be made public shortly.”

Have your 1G on nomination day

The source did confirm that “one thing in the Bill is the increase of fees for candidates on Nomination day.  It moved from $500.00 to $1000.00.”

The senior source also confirmed that “the counting machines will be used for all ballots, both those who are voting for District Candidates and those voting for Territorial At-Large Persons.”

HoA Spokesman, Linton V. Leonard could not be reached for comments.