Polls close after relatively smooth day of voting

POLLS closed at 6 pm on Monday after a relatively smooth day of voting despite some concerns raised by candidates and voters.

Point Fortin voters expressed disgust in the morning when a particular polling station required them to wipe excess electoral ink from their fingers on a shared piece of cloth.

Congress of the People (COP) candidate for St Augustine Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan was concerned at senior citizens having to wait in long lines to vote.

United National Congress (UNC) Oropouche East candidate Dr Roodal Moonilal expressed concerns about the length of time it was taking people to vote because of covid19 protocols.

Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) Tobago East candidate Watson Duke was upset about a specific incident.

"I have had one person from my constituency going to vote and, upon producing the identification card, was told she voted already as a special voter. The person did not vote as a special voter, and the name they are referring to is spelt differently as on the ID," he told Newsday.

At 5 pm at the Petit Valley Boys' RC School, which is in the Diego Martin North/East constituency, there was just a trickle of people voting and the process moved very quickly.

In the 2015 general election the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) extended the voting time for an hour to accommodate people affected by heavy rain, and the issue later led to a legal challenge by the UNC. But Chief Election Officer Fern Narcis-Scope had told the media voting hours would not be extended this time.

People's National Movement (PNM) candidate for St Joseph Terrence Deyalsingh said there would be no large-scale celebrations at his constituency office and urged others to follow suit in order to avoid spreading covid19.