Young: Low early voter turnout

He made the comments while speaking with reporters after voting at the Diego Martin North Secondary School. “Well the voter turnout seems to be a little less than what we would have witnessed last year September. I was number 38 going into my booth there and around this time last year I think we would have had much higher numbers than we’re seeing here this morning.

But hopefully during the course of the day it would pick up but as we all know, traditionally, local government elections do bring out a much lower electorate,” he said.

On the voting process he described it “as a very, very smooth one, absolutely no break in between”. “Everybody inside is prepared. They are all prepared. I thank the EBC officers, the persons who have volunteered, the protective services who have helped to assist this process here today. Once again Trinidad and Tobago we have seen democracy at work and a very smooth process of democracy at that,” he added.

On reports of inconsistencies or irregularities Young said he personally has not received any information though he was about to make his way to Balisier House where he would receive any information.

“But I would have thought if there were any major inconsistencies I would have been contacted at this time,” he said. Also at Diego Martin North Secondary was PNM incumbent candidate for Bagatelle/Blue Basin, Joseph “Joey” Lewis, who told Newsday that the process was smooth but also reported a lower voter turnout. He explained that at 9 am, they had 531 people voting in his district, but in 2013 at about 10.30am “we would have had well in excess of 650.” He continued: “So based on our comparison it is a lower voter turnout. But at the end of the day, we expect a PNM victory in the Bagatelle/Blue Basin area.