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U.S. Virgin Islands Forced to Protect Military and Overseas Voters
The U.S. Virgin Islands government has been forced to agree to protect the voting rights of military service members, their family members, and U.S. citizens living overseas after a lawsuit was filed in federal court.
The agreement, filed in the federal district court in St. Thomas, will ensure that eligible military and overseas voters have sufficient time to vote in the upcoming primary and general elections. Under the agreement, the territory is required to express mail ballots to UOCAVA voters who requested ballots be sent to them by mail for the primary and general elections.
UOCAVA voters in these federal elections will also be offered the opportunity to receive their ballots by email or fax, and the option of returning their ballots by express delivery, email or fax.
"This agreement reflects this department’s steadfast and continued commitment to ensure that members of our armed forces, their families and overseas citizens are offered a full and meaningful opportunity to vote in our nation’s elections," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
"I am most appreciative that election officials in the Virgin Islands worked cooperatively with the department and agreed to take actions to ensure the territory’s military and overseas voters will have a full opportunity to have their votes counted in the upcoming primary and general elections as well as in future federal elections," added Ronald W. Sharpe, U.S. Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands.
UOCAVA requires states, including the territory of the Virgin Islands, to allow uniformed service voters (those serving both overseas and within the United States) and their families and overseas citizens to register to vote and to vote absentee for all elections for federal office.
The agreement will commit the Virgin Islands to report back to the United States about the number of UOCAVA ballots received and counted for the 2012 federal election cycle. In addition, the agreement requires the Virgin Islands to take steps to ensure compliance with UOCAVA in future federal elections and provide reports to the United States on those efforts.
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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