Sixth Constitutional Convention Committee Examines Voting Systems

Debate over voting protocols dominated Wednesday’s session of the Sixth Constitutional Convention. The Human Rights Committee spent two hours reviewing three sections in Article IV covering suffrage and elections.

As has been the practice in previous sessions, committee members offered their version of changes to the language set out in the Fifth Constitutional Convention. Wednesday’s agenda was supposed to begin working on Article I — the Bill of Rights, but David Silverman, the author of proposed revisions to that section, was absent from the meeting.

The vice chair then introduced a set of proposals covering voting rights, campaign finance regulations, and electoral procedures. Rudel A. Hodge Jr said the changes were intended to modernize the way election systems function, based on language “in alignment with international best practices.”

After some debate, a number of proposals were tabled for further discussion. One proposal was deleted on a voice vote by six committee members. One proposal was upheld when a motion was rejected to remove it.

Topics covered included eligible voting age, residency requirements for voter participation, and eligibility for felons who have paid their debt to society. There was also debate over voters who, due to their international status, can vote in both the V.I. and abroad.