candidates receiving the highest and the second
 highest number of votes.

 C. In case of a permanent vacancy in the office of
 Delegate caused by death, resignation, or
 permanent disability, the office would remain vacant
 until a successor was elected and qualified.

 D. Qualifications for the office of Delegate were United
 States citizenship for at least seven years prior to
 the election date, at least twenty-five years of age at
 the time of election, being an inhabitant of the
 territory, and not being a candidate, on the date of
 election, for any other office.

 E. The Delegate's term of office would begin on the
 third day of January following the election.

 F. The Delegate would be entitled to whatever
 privileges and immunities had been or would
 thereafter be granted to the Resident Commissioner
 for Puerto Rico.

 The people of the Virgin Islands had long felt that they should have an official
 delegate to the Congress. They pointed to the fact that Puerto Rico had such a
 representative since 1917. Its long-awaited realization was a very welcome decision
 and has led to enhanced communication and effectiveness in Washington.

 Constitutional Authorization Act of 1976

 In 1965 and 1972 the people of the Virgin Islands, without Federal
authorization, held constitutional conventions and drafted new constitutions for the
territory. The 1965 constitution was sent to the Congress and essentially ignored.
However, some of its proposals, such as those for an elected governor and a delegate
to the Congress, were in time enacted into law.

 The constitution of 1972 did not get a strong local vote of approval and thus was
not even submitted to the Congress. However, both documents served to exemplify
the local desire for a territorially-written constitution. In 1974 the Virgin Islands
Delegate to Congress, Ronald de Lugo, introduced a bill to that effect, and on October
21, 1976, a law was signed that authorized the Virgin Islands and Guam "to organize
governments pursuant to constitutions of their own adoption as provided in this Act."
The major provisions of the 1976 Act were:

 A. The Act authorized the legislature of the Virgin
 Islands to call a constitutional convention to draft,