Although it cannot yet officially confirm that a runoff will be required in the governor’s race until final election results are released, the Election System is preparing for the Tuesday vote, according to St. Thomas-St. John Board members at a press conference Wednesday.

The district board has approved a draft ballot, and the two gubernatorial tickets that would likely go into the runoff have agreed to use their general election ballot numbers, said St. Thomas-St. John District Board Chairman Arturo Watlington, Jr.

The runoff ballots are expected to arrive by the weekend, said Watlington. But Elections is challenged by the fact that some voters plan to leave the island before the end of the week.

The final runoff voting procedures, including absentee voting, will be discussed in a special joint board meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday at Gertrude’s Restaurant on St. Croix.

Watlington said the ballots would likely be sent by email to off-island voters, including military servicemen, who will have to waive their right to privacy. A privacy waiver form will be sent along with the emailed ballot.

According to Watlington, voters will be able to scan their own ballots in the runoff election since symbol voting will no longer be an option. In situations where the ballot is spoiled, the voter will have the chance to make the needed correction.

Voters who did not vote in the general election will be able to vote in the runoff, according to Joint Election Board Chairwoman Alecia Wells.

“Legally, that person can vote because it’s a new election,” said Wells.

The runoff is scheduled for Nov. 18, with the certification due Nov. 28. The board has not been granted extra funds for the runoff election, Watlington said.

Milton Potter Complaint

“What was written on paper is hogwash,” said Watlington, referring to a complaint by Milton Potter, St. Thomas manager of the Mapp-Potter campaign, surrounding an incident Thursday night that put the district ballot count under investigation by the Office of the Attorney General.

The complaint, addressed to Wells, Attorney General Vincent Frazer, and Election Officer Alphonse Andrews, detailed how Potter received a call from one of their campaign volunteers about “questionable activity” in the election system 10 minutes after the poll watchers and the media had left the building.

Upon receiving the call, Potter said he and his team returned to the Election System offices.

“When we entered into the room, it was clear that they were not expecting us to be there,” said Potter, who added that when he asked Watlington to explain what was happening, he “could not get a clear and reasonable response.”

Watlington offered a different version of the story. After they called it a night Thursday, there were 89 hand counts that the ES&S technician returned to election officials for sorting because the ballots could not be scanned as they were, Watlington said. He said he then stepped out of the conference room and called back the members of the Mapp-Potter team into the conference room to witness the sorting.

Potter said he did not ask the campaign volunteer who made the initial report if Watlington had indeed informed them of the sorting or invited them to observe.

“I believe that campaign continues to cast aspersions on this board,” responded Watlington. “They’ve taken us to court and they continue to make baseless accusations about the accuracy of our count and the integrity of this board.”

District ballot counting resumed 3 p.m. Thursday. Of the 321 ballots mailed out, 193 mail-in absentee ballots were returned so far, which will be tabulated at close of business Friday, the required 10 days after the general election, Watlington said.

They will also be able to close out one DS200 machine that now has on record 720 remade ballots, and other ballots that the board has to remake. Watlington said he is confident that the board will make the general election certification deadline on Friday.