#JaVotes2020 | Elderly Voters Out Early In St Elizabeth

By: Admin

Image caption: "The water supposed to dry out of the corn pot by now. Come on man! This waiting is for people who don't have nothing fi do," shouted one senior outside a room at the Santa Cruz All-Age.

Elderly voters were out early to decide between People's National Party (PNP) candidate Basil Waite and the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Delroy Slowley who are both vying for the St Elizabeth North Eastern seat today.

Masks and hand sanitizers seemed to be the order of the day although social distancing was problematic at the Goshen All-Age and basic schools. 

Most problematic, however, were operations at the Santa Cruz All-Age School which saw the largest turn out of the three polling stations this morning.

There, some voters complained that they had been waiting for almost two hours.

"The water supposed to dry out of the corn pot by now. Come on man! This waiting is for people who don't have nothing fi do," shouted one senior outside a room at the Santa Cruz All-Age.

Election day worker Kevaughn Coke spent much of the morning, ushering around elderly voters, some were hard of hearing, blind or walking on crutches.

A 72-two-year-old Wilbert Smith, however, was in no hurry at the Goshen All-Age.

He has been voting since 1972 and would not have missed this election, COVID-19 or not.     

"The PNP is the better party for me. Everything that I have is PNP give me from Michael Manley days. I never suffer under the PNP party yet," Smith said. 

Smith, however, was not optimistic that the PNP would win the general election but said he is sure the party will retain the seat.

Cochita McCalla, a 70-year-old JLP supporter was, however,  confident that her party will retain power.

"Me is a die-hearted Labourite and I can't stop vote until my hand dem can't move. Mi a vote 45 years now and mi sure that the Labour party going to win this," she said.

McCalla was decked out in green and wearing a mask with the colours of the Jamaica flag.

Mark Anderson, cluster manager and zone coordinator in the constituency, said voters have been streaming in steadily since morning and that the elderly have been given priority. 

"We have had a good mix of the young and elderly persons coming out and the drivers and runners tend to target the elderly first because we don't know what the rain may bring later on," said Anderson. 

Waite will be following in the footsteps of former PNP members of parliament Sydney Fagan, Roger Clarke, Kern Spencer, Raymond Pryce and Evon Redman, who have represented the constituency. 

Slowley, who was an independent candidate in the last election will this year have his work cut out for him after the PNP won the seat with 7,733 votes to the JLP's 6,209. 

St Elizabeth North Eastern
2020
PNP - Basil Waite
JLP - Delroy Slowley

2016
PNP - Evon Redman - 7,733
JLP - Saphire Longmore - 6,209

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