Governor John Duncan is liaising with Elections Supervisor Juliette Penn and Attorney General Baba Aziz to determine how best to respond to a complaint from the Virgin Islands Party that ballots cast on Friday’s advance polling day were improperly handled, according to Governor’s Office Policy Officer Maria Mays.

VIP Chairman Julian Fraser wrote to Mr. Duncan on Saturday, alleging that the several “irregularities” that violate the Elections Act occurred in handling the ballots. His allegations include the following:

• VIP polling agents being prevented from “signing as part of the sealing process the envelopes/packets containing ballot papers” for at-large candidates in the Seventh and Eighth districts;

• elections officers failing to seal ballot papers in envelopes for the First, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth districts; and

• ballots for the First, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth districts not being kept intact in a vault in the elections office.

“The aforementioned are serious irregularities that, in our view, could nullify the sanctity and sacredness of the polling done on 5th June, 2015,” the letter to Mr. Duncan states. “As containers were not kept intact but tampered with, the accuracy of the polling of the 5th June, 2015 cannot be ascertained.”

Deputy Governor’s Office Information Officer Colene Penn confirmed that the Elections Office received the VIP’s complaint, and said officials have already taken steps to rectify the party’s concerns.

The ballots were taken out of the boxes in the presence of the candidates involved in each tally, as well as a police officer, Elections Supervisor Juliette Penn and the return officer, Ms. Penn explained.

The information officer said she didn’t know whether any more steps will need to be taken.

Ms. Mays said that Mr. Duncan has not yet issued a reply to the VIP.

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