The Virgin Islands Board of Elections held a special meeting Friday at the St. Croix Elections Office to elect new officers.
Vice Chair Shikima Jones-Sprauve led the meeting and opened the floor for nominations for chair, vice chair, and secretary. After some debate, the board agreed that St. Croix members would fill the chair and secretary positions while the vice chair would be selected from St. Thomas.
Raymond Williams was the first to be nominated for the chairmanship by Nathan Fletcher of St. Thomas. Lawrence Boschulte, also from St. Thomas, nominated Lilliana Belardo de O’Neal, while Barbara LaRonde put forward Cleopatra Peter as a candidate for chairperson.
For the position of vice chair, Boschulte and LaRonde were also put forward as candidates. For secretary, the nominees were Florine Audain-Hassell, Cornelius Jn Baptiste and Raymond Williams.
During the nomination and voting process, questions were raised about Williams’s eligibility to serve on the board. A few board members expressed concerns, noting that his role as director of the V.I. Lottery requires him to hold only one job and maintain a single career. However, the board was reminded of a 2022 ruling by V.I. Attorney General Denise George, who determined that while Williams is prohibited from holding another job, he is permitted to serve on the Elections Board.
“Raymond Williams is in good standing according to the Attorney General,” attorney and board member Michael Joseph affirmed.
Board member Harriet Mercer made a motion that the board should vote for the other two positions until a copy of George’s ruling was produced, which Richard Muhammad, executive assistant, eventually handed to each member.
Jones-Sprauve eventually called for a paper ballot vote. Once the votes were tallied, Williams was elected chair, and Audain-Hassell was chosen as secretary. A tie between Boschulte and Jn Baptiste for vice-chair was resolved in a second round of voting, with Boschulte ultimately being elected.
The meeting was handed over to the newly elected officers. Williams expressed gratitude for the group’s support and assured everyone that the board would operate professionally despite past conflicts. Audian-Hassell also thanked the members, and Boschulte emphasized the importance of maintaining a collaborative and conflict-free atmosphere in future meetings.
During a period at the end of the meeting called Personal Privileges, each member was given three minutes to speak about a subject of their choosing. Most offered suggestions and appreciation but several board members criticized the inability to broadcast the meetings to St. Thomas and St. John constituents.
There are 14 members on the V.I. Elections Board. The seven members from St. Croix are Audain-Hassel, Belardo de O’Neal, Francis, JnBaptiste, Peter, Williams and Joseph.
The members from the St. Thomas-St John district are Boschulte, Fletcher, Jones-Sprauve, LaRonde, Mercer, Atanya Springette, and Chaneel Callwood, who was absent.
