Same Trucking Company for 20 Years, Predetermined List of Caterers: V.I. Election System Criticized for Procurement Practices

Lawmakers question Elections Supervisor Caroline Fawkes about the lack of competitive bidding in vendor selection, emphasizing the need for transparency and equal opportunities in the procurement process

The Election System of the Virgin Islands came under fire by the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance for their apparent lack of acceptable procurement standards for vendors during election cycles.

Elections Supervisor, Caroline Fawkes, spent much of Thursday’s budget hearing lamenting insufficient funding available to the ESVI for the hosting of primary and general elections. She explained that with close to $300,000 needed to host primaries and another $350,000 for general elections, her office was forced to dip into other pots - even the Board of Elections funds - for additional resources.

‌When pressed by Senator Donna Frett-Gregory to delineate the high-spend categories during an election cycle, Ms. Fawkes highlighted ballots, paying poll workers, building rentals, security, trucking services and catering as “very expensive.” In an effort to understand why services like transportation and catering continue to cost the ESVI so much, Frett-Gregory queried whether the requests were put out for a public bid. She, and other legislators, were bewildered to learn that the answer was no.