BARBADOS ELECTIONS: Polling stations open, voting under way

From Barbados Today

Polling stations across the island opened at 6 this morning and residents are out in their numbers to cast their ballots.

From 5:30 in the morning, scores of Barbadians lined up outside the Barbados Community College to cast their ballots.

Meanwhile, this was the scene at 6:15 a.m. at the polling station at the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic in Warrens in the constituency of St Michael North East.

In the north of the island, there was a long line of voters at the Alexandra School.

The Returning Officer for the area reported a smooth start to the day’s proceedings.

When a Barbados TODAY team visited the Grantley Adams Secondary school, there were approximately 30 people in line waiting to cast their ballots.

Ernipha Chase from Burke village, St Joseph said she was first person to arrive at 5:40 a.m. and was the first to cast her vote.

There was a mixed demographic of young and older voters.

There was one police officer stationed at the school who confirmed that it had been uneventful thus far.
Over at the Graydon Sealy Secondary School, voters were trickling to cast their ballots.

Everyone appeared content and satisfied with the smooth flow of proceedings.

The election is seen as a straight fight between the incumbent Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and the main opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP). However, there are five other political parties and several independents, making for a total of 135 candidates in the race.

The DLP is seeking a third term in office, while the BLP is looking to make history by electing Mia Mottley as the country’s first female Prime Minister.

If Mottley is victorious, she will join the likes of the late Dame Eugenia Charles of Dominica, Janet Jagan of Guyana, Portia Simpson Miller in Jamaica and Kamla Persad Bissessar in Trinidad and Tobago in heading a Caribbean Community government.

The polls are scheduled to close at 6 p.m.

For more on this story go to: https://barbadostoday.bb/2018/05/24/elections-polling-stations-open-voting-under-way/