On Friday, the Virgin Islands Board of Elections was forced to suspend its review of candidate appeals and qualification challenges after losing its quorum, delaying decisions on several matters involving candidates seeking office in the 2026 election cycle.
During the meeting, board members reviewed appeals and eligibility issues involving candidates for various offices, including delegate to Congress, governor and the Legislature. Discussions centered on whether certain candidates met statutory filing requirements and whether those challenging disqualification decisions should be granted hearings before the board.
The continued review of candidate appeals comes just days after the Board of Elections voted to maintain a single ballot for federal and territorial contests in the 2026 election cycle. That meeting was also marked by discussions over candidate eligibility, residency requirements, ballot access and election procedures, underscoring the growing number of election-related challenges facing officials ahead of the November election.
Those issues remained at the forefront as board members reviewed appeals and correspondence from candidates seeking offices. Members debated statutory filing requirements, notification procedures and whether candidates challenging disqualification decisions should be granted hearings before the board prior to any final determination.
One of the appeals discussed involved Delegate to Congress candidate James Weber, whose nomination papers were disqualified after election officials determined they had not been filed in accordance with statutory requirements. Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes told the board that Virgin Islands law requires nomination papers to be filed with the Supervisor of Elections in the district where the candidate resides. Some members agreed the law was clear, while others questioned whether candidates should be given additional opportunities to correct filing issues or present their cases before the board.
Board member Harriet Mercer argued that candidates requesting hearings before the board should be given the opportunity to appear in person before a quorum of members prior to any final determination being made. Mercer cited Weber’s appeal letter, which requested “a hearing in person of the quorum of the members of the Board of Elections.”
Before the board could conclude its review of the pending appeals, however, members were informed that a quorum was no longer present.
“We don’t have a quorum, so we cannot proceed,” Chair Raymond Williams announced, bringing the proceedings to a halt.
The board subsequently recessed the meeting and agreed to reconvene on Monday at 10 a.m. to continue reviewing unresolved candidate matters. Because of the loss of quorum, no final action was taken on several appeals and qualification challenges that remained before the board.
The delayed decisions come as election officials continue preparations for the 2026 election cycle and work through a growing number of candidate disputes, procedural questions and election-related challenges ahead of the upcoming election.
