Title 18 — Elections
17 chapters · 232 sections in this title.
18 V.I.C. § 557 Assistance of police
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The Police Commissioner shall provide police protection at each polling place for the duration of the primary and election. The election officers, or any three qualified electors of a polling district, may call upon any police officer present to clear an avenue to the door of the…
18 V.I.C. § 558 Meeting of election officers on day of election
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The election officers shall meet at the polling place to which they were assigned at least one (1) hour before the hour for opening the polls on the day of each primary or election. Any person who is selected to fill a vacancy or a temporary vacancy after the time for swearing in…
18 V.I.C. § 559 Duties of election officers
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(a) After the election officers and clerks have subscribed their oaths required by section 558 of this title, the judge of election shall designate one of the inspectors of election to have custody of the district register and to make the entries therein required by section 582 o…
18 V.I.C. § 560 Opening of polls; posting of instructions and sample ballots
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The election officers shall, after taking the oath, open the ballot boxes which have been furnished to them, before opening of the polls. Not earlier than one hour prior to the opening of the polls, but subsequent to compliance with section 153 of this title, the seals of the pac…
18 V.I.C. § 581 Personal voting required; persons permitted to vote; change of residence within district
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(a) Except as provided by chapter 25 of this title, the right of voting may only be exercised by personal attendance, and no unregistered voter shall be allowed to vote at any primary or election, except by order of the district court. All persons whose names appear on the distri…
18 V.I.C. § 582 Manner of applying to vote; identification; voters' certificates; entries; voting list
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(a) Each elector desiring to vote shall, when he enters the place where the primary or general election is being held, state his name and present the Certificate of Registration, issued him in accordance with subsection (e) of section 100 of this title, to the election officers, …
18 V.I.C. § 583 Repealed. Act May 3, 1984, No. 4934, § 12(f), Sess. L. 1984, p. 127, 128
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18 V.I.C. § 583 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
18 V.I.C. § 584 Voting; presence of other persons prohibited; time for voting
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(a) The elector, after having been certified to vote and after having received upon his request verbal instructions as to the manner of voting from an election official, shall retire to a voting booth and vote the ballot on the electronic voting machine by depressing the button o…
18 V.I.C. § 585 Assistance in voting
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If a voter is unable by reason of physical disability or inability to read the English or Spanish language to mark his ballot or to mark same in an informed manner he may, if he declares to the judge of the election, under oath, that he is so disabled or unable to read, and the j…
18 V.I.C. § 586 Challenging voters; oath
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Any voter may be challenged by any qualified elector of the district, and any watcher authorized by section 552 of this title to be present, and the election officers shall thereupon read to and afterward administer to the person challenged an oath in substance as follows:“I do s…
18 V.I.C. § 587 Duty of election officers to challenge voters
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The election officers shall challenge every person applying for a ballot when it shall be known or suspected that such person is not a qualified elector in the election district.
18 V.I.C. § 588 Issuance of ballots by election officers only; ballots not to be removed; official ballots only to be deposited and counted; exception
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Only election officers or clerks may take and give ballots to electors; and not more than one ballot shall be given to an elector desiring, and found qualified, to vote, except in the case of an unserviceable or spoiled ballot as provided in this chapter. No person other than the…
18 V.I.C. § 589 Preventing congestion at polls
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The election officers, to prevent congestion, may specify the number of voters to be allowed in the polling place at any given time, provided that no qualified elector be denied his right of voting.
18 V.I.C. § 621 Duties of election officers after close of polls
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After the polls are closed and the last elector has voted, the election officers and clerks who have been present throughout the election day may be replaced by another set of election officers, designated by the Board of Elections, which election officers shall have the same qua…
18 V.I.C. § 622 Counting votes; periodic announcements
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As soon as the procedures prescribed by section 621 of this title have been complied with, the election officers and clerks who have been present throughout the election may be replaced by another set of election officers, who shall have the same qualifications, receive the same …
18 V.I.C. § 622a Repealed. Act May 3, 1984, No. 4934, § 13(c), Sess. L. 1984, p. 130
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18 V.I.C. § 622a Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
18 V.I.C. § 623 Repealed. Act May 3, 1984, No. 4934, § 13(d), Sess. L. 1984, p. 130
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18 V.I.C. § 623 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
18 V.I.C. § 624 Ballot decisions to be made by inspectors; duty of judge
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Decisions concerning the validity of any ballots, and the count to be recorded thereon, shall be made by the Board of Elections.
18 V.I.C. § 625 Statement of votes cast
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After the votes for each candidate have been tallied and counted by the election officers as provided in this chapter, such officers shall prepare a statement showing the number of votes cast for each person (upon the respective party tickets at primaries), the total number of ba…
18 V.I.C. § 626 Sealing and delivery of ballots and records; retention
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After the votes cast at the respective polling places for each of the candidates have been counted and the statement has been made as required by sections 621 and 625 of this title, the results shall be announced to the persons present, and the tally papers, shall be securely sea…
18 V.I.C. § 627 General rule for determining result; notification of candidates
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(a) Each board of elections, after having received all statements, books, lists, papers, vouchers, ballots, ballot boxes and district register from each polling district and polling place in its district, shall convene not later than one day following the receipt thereof and dete…
18 V.I.C. § 628 Tied results; new election
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If two or more candidates receive an equal number of votes at an election, a new election shall be held on the eighth day after the determination to determine which of the tied candidates shall be elected to the particular position to be filled.
18 V.I.C. § 629 Recounts; procedure; new election; appeal
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(a) A petition for a recount may be filed by any candidate in a primary or election who believes that there has been fraud or error committed in the canvassing or return of the votes cast at such primary or election. The petition shall be filed with the board of elections of the …
18 V.I.C. § 630 Watchers at canvasses
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The watchers authorized by section 552 of this title may, in the manner provided by that section, be present at any canvass of votes by the boards of elections.
18 V.I.C. § 661 Definitions
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(1) As used in this chapter:(1) “Absentee” means: any person registered and otherwise qualified to vote in elections in the Virgin Islands who applies for an absentee ballot pursuant to section 664 of this chapter.(2) “Election” means either “general election” or “primary electio…
18 V.I.C. § 662 When permitted
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(a) Any person who fulfills the definition of an absentee pursuant to section 661 of this chapter may vote at such election in the manner provided by this chapter. (b) If a U.S. citizen living outside the United States who has never lived in the United States has a parent who is …
18 V.I.C. § 663 Forms of ballots and envelopes
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(a) Not less than thirty (30) days prior to each election the Supervisor of Elections shall prepare in such quantities as he deems necessary the following papers:1. Absentee ballots similar in form to the official ballots and containing the forwarding address for the appropriate …
18 V.I.C. § 664 Applications for ballots; time
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An application for an absentee ballot shall be made in person or in writing to the Supervisor of Elections by the absentee or anyone in his behalf, which application shall contain the absentee's name, present mailing address, legal residence and satisfactory proof of his status a…
18 V.I.C. § 665 Voting procedure; delivery of marked ballots; time limit; record
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(a) An absentee who has received an absentee ballot may vote by mailing or causing to be delivered to the board of elections for the proper election district such ballot marked and sworn to, as follows:After marking the ballot, the voter shall enclose and seal it in the envelope …
18 V.I.C. § 666 Examination of affidavits; filing; delivery of unopened envelopes to Supervisor of Elections
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(a) Upon receipt by a board of elections; within the time prescribed by section 665 of this title of the mailing envelope containing the affidavit envelope and the absentee ballot envelope, after it has been stamped or endorsed in a manner provided by subsection (c) of such secti…
18 V.I.C. § 667 Counting absentee ballots; watchers
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(a) Each board of elections shall, after the time specified in subsection (a) of section 665 hereof, remove all absentee ballots from the file referred to in subsection (a) of section 666 hereof, remove the ballot envelope from the affidavit envelope and place such ballot envelop…
18 V.I.C. § 668 Challenges; procedure
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All absentee ballots received by a board of elections shall be subject to challenge by a watcher or other qualified elector prior to the removal of the absentee ballot envelope from the envelope containing the applicant's affidavit, for noncompliance with this chapter or for any …
18 V.I.C. § 669 Immaterial defects
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No ballot transmitted under this chapter shall be rejected for any immaterial addition, omission or irregularity in the preparation or execution of any writing or affidavit required by this chapter.
18 V.I.C. § 670 Death of voter
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No ballot mailed or delivered under this chapter shall be counted if the board of elections is cognizant of the fact that the voter has died prior to the opening of the polls on the day of election.
18 V.I.C. § 671 Registration
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Before the delivery of the ballots cast at a general election to the Supervisor of Elections as required by section 626 of this title, the board shall enter the registration of each absentee, whose vote was counted, in the general register, and the proper district register or sub…
18 V.I.C. § 672 Delivery of ballots to Supervisor of Elections
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The absentee ballots counted and rejected by the board of elections shall, after the registration required by section 671 of this title, be wrapped and sealed in separate packages properly marked as to their contents, and shall be delivered to the Supervisor of Elections along wi…
18 V.I.C. § 673 Voting in person
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Nothing in this chapter shall prevent a voter who has mailed or delivered a ballot under this chapter from voting in person. An applicant for an absentee ballot shall vote in person if he is able to do so even though his application for such ballot was made in good faith; and if …
18 V.I.C. § 674 Construction with other provisions
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If any provisions of this chapter are inconsistent with other provisions of this title, this chapter controls insofar as it relates to the method of voting as herein prescribed.
18 V.I.C. § 675 Use of federal write-in absentee ballot
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(a) Expanded use of the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot. If the voter is residing outside the United States, or is a member of the United States Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine, or their family members, and a qualified elector, he or she may use the Federal Write-In Absent…
18 V.I.C. § 741 Definitions
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As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different construction, application or meaning:“election official” means any election officer or clerk of election, and any member of a board of elections or employee of a board of elections; and“whoever” means any individual…
18 V.I.C. § 761 Disobedience to order or subpoena of election board or board member
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Whoever willfully disobeys a lawful order of a board of elections or of a member thereof, or refuses to obey its or his subpoenas duly issued and served under the provisions of chapter 5 of this title, shall be fined not more than $1,000.
18 V.I.C. § 762 Wrongful registration, entries or alterations by board official or employee, refusal to register
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(1) Whoever, being a member of a board of elections, or clerk or other board employee:(1) knowingly registers, or permits to be registered, a person not entitled to be registered under this title; or(2) inserts, or intentionally permits to be inserted, a name or other entries in …
18 V.I.C. § 763 Preventing, or assistance in preventing, registration or change in party enrollment
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Whoever, being a member of a board of elections, or clerk or other employee of the board, or any other person, knowingly and willfully prevents or assists in preventing, or, by coercion, threats of bodily injury, or intimidation, prevents or attempts to prevent, a person from bei…
18 V.I.C. § 764 Wrongful registration, or attempt to register, by person
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Whoever applies for registration under this title, or notifies the board of elections of a change of his residence address, knowing or having reason to know, that he is not entitled to be registered, or to have his residence address changed, or declares as his residence a place o…
18 V.I.C. § 765 Neglect or refusal to furnish information or exhibit records
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Whoever willfully neglects or refuses to furnish to any inspector of registration any information which he is authorized by chapter 5 of this title to obtain, or to exhibit any records, papers or documents authorized by such chapter to be inspected by him, shall be fined not more…
18 V.I.C. § 766 Malicious filing of petition to strike off registration or party affiliation
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Whoever, maliciously and without probable cause, challenges a person under the provisions of sections 101(a) or 108(b), files a petition for the purpose of striking off the registration or party affiliation of an elector, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more t…
18 V.I.C. § 781 Refusal to allow employees time off
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Whoever, being an employer, refuses to allow an employee time off for the purpose of voting, or, after allowing the time off, deducts the time from the wages of the employee, shall be fined not more than $5,000.
18 V.I.C. § 785 Improper distribution and printing of ballots
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(a) Whoever, having contracted with, or become employed by, the Government of the Virgin Islands to print or reproduce in any manner any official ballot, willfully appropriates to himself, or gives or delivers to, or knowingly permits to be taken by anyone other than a person aut…
18 V.I.C. § 786 Improper possession of ballot
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Whoever, other than an election official or other person authorized by law or by the Supervisor of Elections, has in his possession outside of the voting room any official ballot or unofficial ballot prepared under the authority of section 554 of this title, shall be fined not mo…
18 V.I.C. § 787 Counterfeiting of ballot
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Whoever makes, or knowingly has in his possession, any counterfeit of an official ballot or of an unofficial ballot prepared under the authority of section 554 of this title, shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.