High young voters’ turnout recorded in Linden, Berbice amid minor hiccups

Despite minor hiccups, the general atmosphere in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) was calm and peaceful as residents took to the polls on Monday when Guyana hosted its General and Regional Elections.
It was the same situation in outlying areas across the Upper Berbice River areas.

From all reports received, the polling stations in the Region opened at the stipulated 06:00h.
Many of the voters turned up at their respective polling stations early Monday morning to exercise their franchise. Some were reportedly at the polling stations as early as 03:00h and 04:00h, waiting in anticipation for them to open.
Guyana Times spoke to several voters who explained that the process was smooth and easy while pinpointing several minor hiccups as it relates to finding their polling places. These issues were subsequently resolved.
This publication visited the New Silvercity Secondary, Wisroc Nursery, Wisburg Secondary, Middle Street Nursery, Christianburg Community Centre Ground and the Linden Foundation Secondary to get a first-hand experience among voters.
The youths, elderly, differently abled, pregnant women and party officials lined polling stations and by midday the process had slowed down tremendously. However, as it came down to the afternoon period, voters were out in their numbers to cast their ballots.

Shauna Beckles was one of the first persons to cast her ballot at the Wisroc Nursery School polling station and noted that the experience was quite accommodating.
“The process was easy. Everything seems as though it’s working to order. I’m here since about 4 something (in the morning). I just come to make sure everything go alright. No problem, no scene and by God’s grace, everything worked all right,” Beckles told this publication.
Beckles was in the company of her 20-year-old daughter, who is a first-time voter. The young woman also explained that the process was very easy and quick.
This newspaper also spoke with an elderly couple at the same location who explained that the process was very smooth, as they noted that they had no complaints. The elderly woman indicated that she assisted her husband in getting out to the polling station and that they had been there since around 05:00h. She further explained that they walked some distance since there was no transportation available at that time.

“…because, we live a good way, you know. So, we had to walk down. Nobody come for us, so we walk…”, she said, adding that it was not an issue for them.
Eighty-nine-year-old Beryl Bentick, who was taken to the polling station in a wheelchair, noted that it was not the first time that she voted since being wheelchair-bound, so she had transportation readily available.
Lindener Yowell Hinds, who assisted his mother Della Hinds in getting to the polling station situated at the Wisburg Secondary School at Wismar, explained that though there were minor difficulties they managed to get through the voting process.
“It had a kind of mix-up with the crowd and so, but so far everything all right…a lot of elderly said that in the earlies they used to just walk in and cast their ballot and then walk out back… now you got to verify and in order to do that you still have to wait in the line. Sometimes you in the wrong line. There are people directing you, but not for all the stations and sometimes the person busy with somebody else, so you have to find your way around,” Hinds said.

An elderly voter told Guyana Times that she was on the road waiting for transportation for a long time in order to get to her polling station at the Wisburg Secondary as she was unaware of any special transportation system in place.
A physically-challenged young man said he was standing in line for some time and could not find his name at the location. He noted afterwards that he was told to go elsewhere. As such, he shared the view that there should be a special system in place to assist differently abled voters to vote at a particular location where they can receive special assistance.
“Why they don’t got a system where the differently abled can vote alone? Then got to stand up in the line and just wait in line. Sometimes you come and you don’t even find your name, then you (have to) go somewhere else,” he noted.
The young man added that he believed in change and progress, hence it was important for him to vote.
Some voters also complained of being in the wrong line at a polling place and being redirected after some time.
First-time voter, 21-year-old Jermaine Benjamin, who voted at the Linden Foundation Secondary polling place, said he was not really excited about the process, as he noted it could have been executed in a timelier manner.
“There’s a lot of people there and there’s a lot of places that don’t have people. So, I think they could have separated it in a better way so that people can go in and get out as fast as possible. That was the only issue,” he said.
Benjamin noted that apart from this, everything went well for him.

Also speaking with this publication was Linden Mayor Waneka Arrindell. She stated, “Most wonderful, persons were walking through the community this morning shouting ‘Come out and vote!’ So, everybody is up, everybody is excited…”.
Arrindell described the voting process at the location as very smooth, noting there was no confusion. She also noted that transportation was not an issue as there were vehicles transporting persons to and from the polling places.
Another issue highlighted involved persons registered to vote in Linden who resided in Georgetown and they being unclear about where to go.
According to information from GECOM, there were 125 polling stations across the Region with 33,808 persons on the Official List of Electors. Regional Commander Hugh Winter noted that over 180 Joint Services ranks were dispatched across the Region to provide security.
Meanwhile, in the Ancient County of Berbice, there were only a few issues that were raised during the electoral process.
A total of 99,131 electors were listed to cast ballots at 378 polling stations throughout the Region.
On the East Bank of Berbice, the voters’ turnout was reportedly around 80 per cent.
The shutting down of Guyana’s eastern border by the Government two days before E-Day was a concern expressed by one political party.
Hundreds of Guyanese living in Suriname who were planning to come to Guyana to cast their ballots were deprived of doing so.
However, as the polls opened on the Corentyne, in New Amsterdam and also in East Canje, many of the polling stations were crowded, persons sought to cast their ballots early and return home.
At the Berbice Educational Institute in New Amsterdam, Police had to be called in to disperse a group of persons who had gathered and were not from the community.
Region Six Chairman David Armogan, who went with his family to the Viola Nursery School in the country’s oldest town, New Amsterdam, stated that the process was very slow.
The same sentiments were expressed by Leader of the Federal United Party, Chandra Sohan. At the close of polls at 18:00h, the general sentiments were that the process was smooth with few or no hiccups in Berbice.