Tuesday, January 6, 2015 - The Office of the Supervisor of Elections is reminding the public that continuous voter registration is in effect. All persons who are eligible to be registered as voters are reminded that they should register by applying to the Supervisor of Elections under Section 6(1) and 14 of the Elections Act, 1994, No. 16 of 1994.
To be qualified to register, a person must be a Belonger or a citizen, 18 years of age or older, and domiciled in the Virgin Islands. Persons domiciled in the Virgin Islands and resident in the United States Virgin Islands also qualify under this section. Documents to be presented when registering are a birth certificate, Virgin Islands Passport or a Belonger’s Card. A naturalisation certificate can also be used provided the certificate is dated before June 15, 2007.
Persons must complete only one form based on their qualifying section. According to the Elections Act, “A person resident in the Virgin Islands may apply in Form No. 1 of the Second Schedule.”
The Act continues, “A person resident in the United States Virgin Islands may apply in Form No. 7 of the Second Schedule.”
Section 68 of The Virgin Islands Constitution outlines the conditions for disqualification. It states that no person shall be qualified to be registered as a voter who is certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of an unsound mind. No person shall be qualified to register who has been convicted of an offence relating to elections; or who is under a sentence of death imposed on him or her by a court, or is serving a sentence of imprisonment for a term exceeding twelve months.
Other conditions for disqualification relating to incarceration are that persons convicted of “two or more sentences of imprisonment that are required to be served consecutively shall be regarded as separate sentences if none of those sentences exceeds twelve months, but if anyone of those sentences exceeds that term they shall be regarded as one sentence.”
Section 68 continues with a clause for registration. It states “No account shall be taken of a sentence of imprisonment imposed as an alternative to or in default of the payment of a fine.”
The full conditions for Qualifications of Voters will be printed in this week’s newspapers.
Application Forms may be obtained at the Office of the Supervisor of Elections and from the post offices at East End, Road Town, West End, Carrot Bay and Cane Garden Bay on Tortola. On Virgin Gorda, application forms are available at the Post Offices in North Sound and the Valley.
Forms are also available from the District Officer on Anegada, the Government Office on Jost Van Dyke and Smith’s Ferry Services/ Tortola Fast Ferry Office on St. Thomas.
The Office of the Supervisor of Elections is located on the ground floor of Ulric Dawson’s Building #6, Russell Hill Road, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Opening hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Persons may visit the office or contact them via telephone number 468-4380 for more information.
The Office of the Supervisor of Elections administers all administration functions and Election procedures in accordance with the Elections Act, 1994 and amendments.
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