Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Campaigning on Advance Polling Day now restricted in VI

- in keeping with changes to Elections (Amendment) Act, 2023
Persons contesting the 2023 elections in the Virgin Islands will not be able to do any campaigning on Advanced Polling Day on April 20, 2023, according to amendments in the Elections (Amendment) Act, 2023. Photo: GIS/File
Polling Day in the Virgin Islands is April 24, 2023. Photo: VINO/File
Polling Day in the Virgin Islands is April 24, 2023. Photo: VINO/File
During the debate on March 10, 2023, Senior Legislator Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) had told the House that it was not a good look for the government to be making last-minute changes to the bill on the last sitting day before the House of Assembly was dissolved. Photo: VINO/File
During the debate on March 10, 2023, Senior Legislator Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) had told the House that it was not a good look for the government to be making last-minute changes to the bill on the last sitting day before the House of Assembly was dissolved. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI– Persons contesting for seats in the 2023 General Elections in the Virgin Islands will not be able to do any campaigning on Advance Polling Day, according to amendments made in the Elections (Amendment) Act, 2023.

The Amendments to the Bill were passed in the House of Assembly (HoA) on Friday, March 10, 2023.

Amendments to section 53 (1) of the principal Act (Elections Act -Revised Laws of the Virgin Islands 2013) restricted campaigning upon a public road or in a public place within 100 yards of a building in which a polling station is situated on Advance Polling Day.

Name, address, and occupation of a voter to be announced before voting 

Further changes were made to Sections 18 and 23 to make provision for the list to be published electronically and Section 40 to allow for the name, address, and occupation of a voter to be announced prior to voting.

Changes were also made to Section 47 to expand the list of persons allowed to vote on Advance Polling Day.

During the debate on March 10, 2023, Opposition Leader Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) told the House that it was not a good look for the government to be making last-minute changes to the bill on the last sitting day before the House of Assembly was dissolved.

He said while the changes were not harmful at the 11th hour, they should have been done after the elections rather than just before so a wrong perception is not created.

Elections Day in the VI is April 24, 2023, with Advanced Polling set for April 20, 2023.

6 Responses to “Campaigning on Advance Polling Day now restricted in VI”

  • one eye (14/04/2023, 10:54) Like (11) Dislike (25) Reply
    Vote vip all the way the others are bad for the bvi
    • smh (14/04/2023, 11:57) Like (15) Dislike (6) Reply
      VIP all the way is what got the BVI in our current predicament, so I'll pass on that.
  • Vote for the new alliance (14/04/2023, 11:17) Like (7) Dislike (5) Reply
    PVIM, PU, INDEPENDENTS & NDP
  • Political Science (14/04/2023, 11:57) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    Does this missive mean no campaign anytime and anywhere on April 21, Advance Polling Day? If true, what is the rationale? Agree that there should be no electioneering within a certain distance of a polling station(a) on both Advance Polling, and Election Day, ie, no campaigning within, for example, 1000’ feet radius of a polling station. The campaigning time was truncated this cycle so the lost of one day is important. Moreover, the randomness of the date for a General Election is problematic and an a date-certain for election is long over due, bringing stability to the process, removing the uncertainty, and levelling the playing field. This is a low hanging fruit that the Constitutional Review Committee should harvest.
  • Minds made up.. (14/04/2023, 13:24) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
    95% of minds already made up...From the streets, work places, Taxi, stands and Super Markets...The unity favour everyone against the VIP.... NDP PVIM and others unity Govt....As it looks rite now it seems like NDP 3, PVIM 3, VIP 5 others two.. Those two others will decide the govt and the Premier..
  • Rubber Duck (14/04/2023, 14:02) Like (3) Dislike (7) Reply
    I am looking forward to seeing the back of the crooks and incompetents and a clean fresh star with Lorna Smith as Premier.


Create a comment


Submit comment

Create a comment

Submit comment
Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.