The Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands is calling on the Legislature of the Virgin Islands to act with urgency and purpose to fund the upcoming primary election, emphasizing that delays in appropriations threaten both the administration of the election and public confidence in the democratic process.
State Chairwoman Carol M. Burke, in a Letter to the Editor, echoed the sentiments expressed in a recent editorial by Winston Nugent, which challenged leaders to choose between “spectacle or substance, noise or direction, urgency or intention.”
“The timely funding of the primary election is not a matter of preference—it is a matter of responsibility,” Burke stated. “For nearly a century, elections in the Virgin Islands have been publicly funded as a core function of government. That responsibility must be upheld not just in principle, but in practice—and in time.”
Since the establishment of elected governance in 1936 and under the framework of the Revised Organic Act of 1954, elections in the territory have been administered as part of the public system, with funding appropriated by the Legislature. Like jurisdictions across the United States, the Virgin Islands relies on public funding to support the infrastructure necessary to conduct elections, including primary elections that determine party nominees.
The DPVI emphasized that while political parties maintain the constitutional right to certify candidates and govern internal processes, the administration and funding of elections remain a public obligation.
“Delay is not neutral,” Burke said. “A late appropriation can have the same practical effect as a denial—compressing timelines, straining election administration, disadvantaging candidates, and confusing voters.”
The Party noted that generations of legislative leadership, including Senate Presidents such as Earl B. Ottley, Ruby M. Rouss, Elmo D. Roebuck, Lorraine Berry, Almando Liburd, and Neville James, recognized the importance of fully funding elections as an essential pillar of governance.
The DPVI is urging current legislative leadership—including the Senate President and the Chair of the Committee on Budget and Appropriations—to ensure that funding for the primary election is approved promptly to preserve the integrity of the election process.
“At a time when trust in institutions must be strengthened, timely funding of elections sends a clear message: that the system works, that leadership is intentional, and that the people’s voice is respected,” Burke added. “Regaining and strengthening public trust in our elections must itself be an intentional act.”
The DPVI reaffirmed that democracy does not begin at the general election, but at the primary—where voters first exercise their choice and political parties fulfill their role in the democratic process.
