ALTHOUGH voters in the Tobago West constituency reported a generally smooth process at the polls on April 28, one candidate and an election agent had some concerns.
Certica Williams-Orr, election agent for Tobago People’s Party (TPP) Tobago West candidate Joel Sampson, complained that sub-agents were being denied entry at polling stations.
"Now the sub-agents are those who would go in for a short period to relieve a polling agent. So the returning officer for Tobago West has to be informed at least five days before polling day of the appointment of all the sub-agents," Williams-Orr told reporters outside of the Montgomery Government Primary School in Bethel.
"The polling agents come in the same day with their letter of appointment and declaration of secrecy. So they have no problems with that. But the sub-polling agents, those who just want to go in to do a quick relief and so on, those were being denied entry."
Williams-Orr said the polling agents would usually go into the stations with their ID and declaration of secrecy because the returning officer would have already been aware of the appointment.
She said she found the situation strange.
"So I called the returning officer and apparently the presiding officers were not informed of the appointment of the sub-agents."
Williams-Orr said polling stations at Bishop’s High School, Glen Road, Canaan and Carnbee had the same problem.
She said she was told that a broadcast would be done to address the issue.
"If it was done, it did not reach the full audience because the presiding officer at St Patrick’s said to me she was not informed. But she contacted him by phone and we got it sorted out.
"It’s really frustrating because you are being denied, someone sitting inside to mind your business."
Patriotic Front’s Tobago West candidate Aretha Clarke, a social worker, complained about the absence of wheelchairs at polling stations for people with disabilities.
"I am a little concerned about persons with disabilities because I realise that most of the divisions don’t have any wheelchairs. That is one of my major concerns because if you are looking to have a higher voter turnout and persons with disabilities cannot access the building properly, then that is a serious challenge," she told reporters after voting at the Lambeau Anglican School.
Clarke, a first-timer in the election race, said the process was smooth.
"I got there at 9 am and I was consecutive number 92. So the process was quite smooth."
She said she was not nervous.
"I often say it is like an ordinary exam, what you put in is what you get back out."
Clarke also said she hoped the island would have a high voter turnout.
"I am hoping that the 53.3 per cent from the last election, we bring that to 75 per cent this time. That is what I am looking forward to seeing."
[caption id="attachment_1152075" align="alignnone" width="1008"] Voters in Tobago cast their vote at Bon Accord Primary School, Tobago on April 28. - Photo by Visual Styles[/caption]
PNM Tobago West MP Shamfa Cudjo
