Board of Elections Chairman Chastises Member for Casting Doubt on Voting Process as General Election Heats Up
Board of Elections Chairman Raymond Williams during a Thursday board meeting chastised board member Harriet Mercer for what Mr. Raymond deemed a betrayal of her oath to the board following comments Ms. Mercer made on radio. Those comments, he said, sowed doubt in the community about the integrity of the territory's elections, and said Ms. Mercer should have addressed her concerns to board members instead of going to the airwaves.
2022-10-07 15:04:29 - VI News Staff
The chairman's comments followed a letter from Senator Alma Francis Heyliger read into the record by Supervisor of Elections, Caroline Fawkes. In her letter, Heyliger requested information urgently regarding the testing of the electronic voting machines prior to the start of early voting on October 10.
The letter read in part, “My staff has searched the Board of Elections official website to review the official procedures regarding the testing of the voting machines. The procedures are not provided on the website.”
In her correspondence, Ms. Heyliger requested the serial numbers of seals and tags and all voting equipment that will be used during early voting for the St. Thomas/St. John District, the date and time that the machines were sealed, and whether the final certification of the machines by Board of Elections members occurred before or after the machines were sealed.
After the letter was read into the record, B.O.E. Chairman Raymond Williams took a moment to address what he called “a pressing matter," in response to statements made by B.O.E. member Harriet Mercer on a local radio show on Thursday. The comments were related to the sealing and certification of the voting equipment to be used in this year's election.
“We thrive on a motto of a fair, honest and transparent election," Mr. Williams told Mercer.
“You swore an oath,” Mr. Williams added, speaking passionately. "If you saw and thought something was wrong, you should have dealt with it within the confines of the board and the supervisor.”
He added, “I think it is disingenuous of you as a member of this board to believe that planting this scenario of doubt in anybody or anyone in this community… you go against the grain of what we all literally live to do, to ensure free, transparent, and clear elections. You could have made you concerns known and asked the appropriate questions when you had the opportunity. Going on a radio program and taking it as a point of privilege that you don't have, and more-so the point that you are giving misleading information.”
“You cannot do that member Mercer,” Mr. Williams said firmly. “I am calling you out singularly because what you’ve done goes absolutely against the grain of your oath and against the grain of what we do. When you were not a member, it was okay for you to do that. I need you to appreciate that you are a member of a board… collective.”
Responding to Mr. Williams, Ms. Mercer addressed her concern that led to her comments on radio. “There were three witnesses, myself and two other people. The deputy supervisor can tell you I asked a question. I asked a question about when will the seals go on, and she let the technicians answer that, and of course it would be after the machines are tested. I left… and I thought they will be certified, sealed and tagged.”
She went on to defend her comments made live on air. “When you hear any statement I make on the radio, as you know, here on the board every member and any member, and we’ve said it over again, can go the airwaves. I've gone to the airwaves many times and shared information. There’s nothing I said that was inaccurate. I disagree with you totally Chairman Williams. I said the machines were tested, but I didn’t see them sealed and tagged and I was concerned about that.”