2014 United States Virgin Islands referendum
A two-part referendum was held in the United States Virgin Islands on 4 November 2014. Voters were asked whether they approve of extending the term of office of Senators from two to four years,[1] and whether the cultivation and use of cannabis for medical and research purposes should be allowed.[2]
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the United States Virgin Islands |
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The proposal to increase senatorial terms was rejected by 82% of voters, while the medical cannabis proposal was approved by 57% of voters.[3]
Background
The proposal to hold a referendum on increasing the term length of Senators was approved by the Legislature on 27 September 2014 by a vote of 7–6 with one abstention.[1] The proposal would only be implemented if a majority of those voting in the simultaneous general elections.[1]
In 2012 Senator Terrance Nelson proposed holding referendums on the use of medical cannabis and allowing the production, processing, manufacturing and distributing of industrial hemp. Although the holding of a referendum on medical cannabis referendum was blocked by the Legislature, it did allow a referendum on industrial hemp, which was approved by 57% of voters. Nelson again proposed holding a referendum on medical cannabis in 2014, and this time it was approved by a vote of 12–2. Unlike the term length question, the cannabis one was non-binding.[4]
Results
Increasing Senators' term length
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| For | 3,192 | 17.60 |
| Against | 14,946 | 82.40 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 9,741 | – |
| Total | 27,879 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 51,326 | 54.32 |
| Source: VI Vote | ||
Medical cannabis
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| For | 10,503 | 56.54 |
| Against | 8,074 | 43.46 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 9,302 | – |
| Total | 27,879 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 51,326 | 54.32 |
| Source: VI Vote | ||
References
- Legislature puts issue of doubling length of senators' terms to voters Archived 2014-12-10 at the Wayback Machine Virgin Islands Daily News, 27 September 2013
- DeJongh vetoes bill ending pension payments to spouses of deceased governors, calling it an attack on him, his wife Archived 2014-12-10 at the Wayback Machine Virgin Islands Daily News, 15 August 2014
- Official results Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine VI Vote
- Medical marijuana referendum clears Senate Archived 2014-10-21 at Archive.today Virgin Islands Daily News, 29 July 2014
