FEARS OF LOW TURNOUT
ST ANN’S AY, St Ann, Sept. 30, 2024
It is a slow day for voting in the North East St Ann By Election where the JLP’s Matthew Samuda is up against Neil Chase of the United Independents Congress (UIC) and David Fritz Anderson, Independent.
The People’s National Party (PNP) is not taking part.
Up to 2 p.m., most sources suggested that only about 15 to 20 percent of voters had cast their ballots. There are over 43,000 on the voters list.
It was clear that almost all the support was for Matthew Samuda and there was very little representatives of the two other candidates. At Ocho Rios Primary the IUC was said to have two indoor agents.
(NW St Ann MP Krystal lee, left foreground with support for Matthew Samuda)
Several JLP officials spoken to by the North Coast Times were hoping for a pick up in voter numbers between 3 p.m. and the close of polls at 5.
There was very little traffic on the roads in St Ann’s major towns in the constituency, including Ocho Rios and St Ann’s Bay, and the main streets connecting them through Priory and Drax Hall.
(Everald Warmington at Exchange)
At most of the large polling clusters visited by the North Coast Times, there was a heavy security presence with roving teams, including soldiers, supporting on-site police who were strictly enforcing election day guidelines. SSP Dwight Powell appeared at several polling clusters to check on security.
(Security presence was everywhere)
Ocho Rios Primary with the largest cluster of polling divisions in the Constituency was quiet for most of the morning. JamaicaLabour Party officials pushed their runners and support to bring out the voters. Support, at Ocho Rios, for the JLP team came from among others Desmond McKenzie; MP for the neighbouring Constituency of NW St Ann, Krystal Lee and two of her councillors Kim Brown and Claudette Brown. Also there helping to organise support Matthew Samuda were JLP Caretaker for SE St Ann, Damion Heslop and Councillors Michael Belnavis and Cardell Wickham.
(Taking stock at Exchange)
The slow pace of voting was also seen at nearby Ocho Rios High.
At Exchange the division with the largest number of voters on the list in NE St Ann, many party workers camped across the road from the Exchange All-Age School. Everald Warmngton brought a little excitement when he turned up about one o’clock with cheering and bell-ringing supporters.
In St Ann’s Bay, it was also slow at the St Ann’s Bay Primary School with one liaison officer suggesting turnout would struggle to get to 20 percent.
