Sen. Diane Capehart will hold a meeting of the Committee on Government Services and Housing on Thurs., Oct 30 at the Fritz E. Lawaetz Conference room in St. Croix at 10 a.m. The senator has invited the Joint Boards of Elections to attend the meeting to give testimony on the status of the upcoming election; however, Capehart said the entity has declined her invitation, citing conflicting schedules.
“I found it of utmost importance to request the attendance of the Joint Boards of Elections at this meeting to inform the public and answer questions on the issues surrounding the upcoming election and the status of early voting on the island of St. Croix,” Capehart said in a statement.
The senator said notice of the meeting was sent to the Joint Boards on Oct. 23, almost a week ago, asking them to attend and “place on the record information concerning the upcoming elections and the voting process to be implemented.” However, the Joint Boards informed the senator they would be unable to attend her meeting because of an emergency meeting of their own on the same day.
“This is, of course, quite unfortunate given the current controversy respecting the voting process and the public’s need to be informed about issues surrounding the use of voting machines,” Capehart said. “It was my hope that by attending, the board would be able to address the issues and any concerns regarding the integrity, fairness and transparency of the upcoming election.”
In addition to testimony from the Joint Boards, the meeting’s agenda included Capehart’s Preferred Bidders Act and a homeownership proposal for residents in Estate Williams Delight.
The meeting is open to the public.
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