Early voting goes well

It was smooth sailing at election centres on Wednesday as police officers and other Election Day workers cast their ballots ahead of the January 19 poll.

From as early as 7 a.m., polling stations across the island’s 30 constituencies were opened to facilitate the process.

A roving Barbados TODAY team visited several polling stations on the western side of the island.

At the Bethany Evangelical Church, Eagle Hall, in St Michael West, Presiding Officer Linda Phillips said the process went smoothly.

“This morning there was quick movement, a lot of people coming in, but as we progress it has slowed considerably. So we are just basically waiting,” she said.

COVID-19 protocols are in full effect at the polling stations. Phillips said voters fully complied with the requirements.

At 10:42 a.m., the team arrived at the Trents Community Centre in St James Central, where Presiding Officer Allison Holland reported: “It was a little different because of the COVID protocols but voting has been steady. We have 89 people on our register and so far 28 people have voted – 10 males and 18 females.”

Holland said that despite strict COVID-19 protocols the process went smoothly: “So far I can’t say that there have been any hiccups; everything has been going fine,” she said.

At about 11:30 a.m. at the Alexandra School in Queen’s Street, St Peter, Presiding Officer Keith Headley reported that of the 151 registered to vote, 40 people had done so.

He also reported no hiccups: “Everything has been going smoothly so far. We have been sanitising and temperature taking at the entrance and also some person is on the inside who is sanitising the ballot box, the polling booth and pencils after they have been used.”

The Presiding Officer said that today served as a good test for next week’s poll.

“People have been understanding the process and they have been moving along pretty quickly. It doesn’t take long; it takes two minutes. This is a good dry run to see what will happen next week Wednesday as well,” Headley said.

However, things were a bit busier at the Sharon Moravian Church.

Returning Officer for St Thomas, Desiree Regis/Alleyne said there were people waiting in line to cast their vote before the polls opened.

“We did have about five or six persons waiting when we started at seven. It’s been a steady flow so far. We haven’t had five minutes where there wasn’t somebody inside the [polling]station,” she said.

Regis/Alleyne said her team was able to handle the crowd as the lag time between registrants made the process seamless.

She told Barbados TODAY that the team at the polling station was taking the COVID-19 protocols seriously: “We will treat every person coming in through the door as if they are positive so that we are attributing the same sensitivity and attention to every voter that presents themselves.”

Regis/Alleyne also said that the day’s activities were a good indication of how things will flow on election night.

“I wouldn’t say that we have perfected it because it is a dynamic environment that we are working within, but what I would say is that we have done all that we could and we have extended as much courtesy as we can to persons so that we do not disenfranchise anyone and everyone gets the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right,” she said.
kobiebroomes@barbadostoday.bb