A reported low voter turnout is one of the factors that has characterised the 2023 General Election in the Virgin Islands.
Premier Dr the Honourable Natalio Wheatley most recently spoke on the matter during the swearing in of the new government, when he said that the incoming government, which he leads, is tasked with restoring the confidence of Virgin Islanders in the Territory’s political systems.
The premier spoke on April 25th. Earlier that day 284 Media’s Jhaka Wooding sat with Ms Harriet Mercer whose visit to Tortola coincided with the election.
Mercer, a native of St Thomas, is an elected member of the United States Virgin Islands Board of Elections. She holds a formal degree in Political Science from Bethune-Cookman College, now University, in Florida. She is also a Belonger of the BVI, with family roots such as the Mercer Family Chalwell, Tortola and the Chinnerys of Jost Van Dyke.
She spoke drawing from her experience as an Elections Official and a Political Science academic.
Mercer had this to say on voter turnout.
She shared the sentiments that the low voter turnout should not intimidate the elected officials, as all that matters moving forward is their ability to prove to members of the public that they are able to deliver.
She believes that the Government should step in with confidence, knowing that it has something to prove to the electorate.
Mercer also shared her views on how the decision of Hon. Lorna Smith to align with the Virgin Islands party resonates politically. Smith too, she said, has something to prove.
She believes that the officials need to hit the ground running into this new administration as there is a lot that needs to be done. She believes that the first priority should be breathing new life into a positive image for the Virgin Islands on the international stage.