Editing United States Virgin Islands (section)

===Constitution===
[[File:Legislature Building USVI 01.JPG|thumb|right|The Legislature Building in Charlotte Amalie]]
On October 21, 1976, President [[Gerald Ford]] signed {{USPL|94|584}} authorizing the people of the United States Virgin Islands to organize a government pursuant to a constitution, which would be automatically approved if Congress did not act within 60 days.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 9, 2009 |title=Public Law 94 584 Full Text |url=http://www.slideshare.net/renewvipolitics/public-law-94-584-full-text |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225090115/https://www.slideshare.net/renewvipolitics/public-law-94-584-full-text |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2004, an act was passed by the legislature of the Virgin Islands calling for a fifth constitutional convention, and 30 delegates to the convention were elected in 2007. On May&nbsp;26, 2009, the convention adopted a proposed Constitution of the Virgin Islands. However, in June 2009, Governor [[John de Jongh|John de Jongh Jr.]] rejected the resulting constitutional draft, saying the terms of the document would "violate federal law, fail to defer to federal sovereignty and disregard basic civil rights".<ref>Poinski, Megan, [https://archive.today/20130105060930/http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_home?id=17636737 "Governor Rejects Constitution Draft"], article in ''[[The Virgin Islands Daily News]]'', June 13, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2009.</ref> A lawsuit filed by members of the convention to force Governor de Jongh to forward the document to President [[Barack Obama]] was ultimately successful. President Obama forwarded the proposal to Congress in May 2010, along with a report noting concerns raised by the [[United States Department of Justice]] that the powers sought exceeded what would be considered allowable under territorial status<ref>{{Cite web |last=Corbin |first=Dr. Carlyle G. |date=January 5, 2017 |title=Choose or Lose: U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017 |url=https://www.pacificislandtimes.com/post/2017/01/06/Choose-or-Lose-US-Virgin-Islands-in-2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128225332/https://www.pacificislandtimes.com/post/2017/01/06/Choose-or-Lose-US-Virgin-Islands-in-2017 |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |access-date=February 16, 2017 |website=Pacific Island Times }}</ref> and restating the issues noted by Governor de Jongh. A U.S. Congressional resolution disapproving of the proposed constitution and requesting that the Fifth Constitutional Convention reconvene to consider changes to address these issues was signed into law<ref>{{USPL|111|194}}</ref> by President Obama on June 30, 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Office of the White House Press Secretary |date=June 30, 2010 |title=Statement by the Press Secretary on S.J.Res. 33 |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/statement-press-secretary-sjres-33 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216171847/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/statement-press-secretary-sjres-33 |archive-date=February 16, 2017 |access-date=June 30, 2010 |website=[[whitehouse.gov]] |via=[[NARA|National Archives]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 30, 2010 |title=USVI Constitutional Convention mandated to reconsider autonomous proposals |url=http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/news/usvi-constitutional-convention-mandated-reconsider-autonomous-proposals |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028144124/http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/news/usvi-constitutional-convention-mandated-reconsider-autonomous-proposals |archive-date=October 28, 2010 |access-date=July 1, 2010 |publisher=Virgin Islands News Online}}</ref>

Months later, a federal lawsuit was filed in the federal [[District Court of the Virgin Islands]]. The lawsuit claimed that the United States had to provide U.S. Virgin Islanders with the ability to be represented in Congress and vote for U.S. president. It alleged that racial discrimination present in the all-white and segregated U.S. Congress of 1917 was the impetus to deny the right to vote to a majority nonwhite constituency. The case was ultimately dismissed on August&nbsp;16, 2012.<ref>{{Cite Pacer
| plaintiff = Charles
| defendant = FEC
| title = Opinion
| date = August 20, 2012
| case-division = 3
| case-year = 2011
| case-type = cv
| case-sequence = 00110
| case-state = vi
| doc-number = 18
| pacer-number = 28612
| access-date = July 25, 2017
| use-pacer = no
| use-recap = yes
| case-title = Charles v. U.S. Federal Election Commission et. al.
}}<br />{{Cite Pacer
| plaintiff = Charles
| defendant = FEC
| title = Order
| date = August 20, 2012
| case-division = 3
| case-year = 2011
| case-type = cv
| case-sequence = 00110
| case-state = vi
| doc-number = 19
| pacer-number = 28612
| access-date = July 25, 2017
| use-pacer = no
| use-recap = yes
| case-title = Charles v. U.S. Federal Election Commission et. al.
}}</ref>

The Fifth Constitutional Convention of the U.S. Virgin Islands met in October 2012 but was not able to produce a revised constitution before its October&nbsp;31 deadline.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lou Mattei (Daily News Staff) |date=September 29, 2012 |title=Constitutional Convention meeting marred by arguments, technical snarls – News |work=Virgin Islands Daily News |url=http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/constitutional-convention-meeting-marred-by-arguments-technical-snarls-1.1395403?localLinksEnabled=false |url-status=dead |access-date=April 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205130503/http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/constitutional-convention-meeting-marred-by-arguments-technical-snarls-1.1395403?localLinksEnabled=false |archive-date=February 5, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Mattei, Lou |last2=Virgin Islands Daily News |date=October 29, 2012 |title=Constitutional Convention Meeting Marred by Arguments, Technical Snarls |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-33821105.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218063444/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-33821105.html |archive-date=February 18, 2017 |access-date=February 16, 2017 }}</ref><ref>Mattei, Lou, Virgin Islands Daily News (October 29, 2012). "Constitutional Convention Meeting Marred by Arguments, Technical Snarls".</ref><ref>Lou Mattei (Daily News Staff) (September 29, 2012). "Constitutional Convention meeting marred by arguments, technical snarls – News". Virgin Islands Daily News. Retrieved April 8, 2013.</ref>

On November 3, 2020, the Virgin Islands held a referendum on whether to convene a sixth constitutional convention. The proposal was [[2020 United States Virgin Islands constitutional convention referendum|approved with nearly 72% voting in favor]].