My first Tobago voting experience

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Early on the morning of December 6, I went with two friends to our constituency’s polling station. I do not like politics (especially the "gutter" variety) and, since moving to Tobago in 2012, have never voted.

In fact, having never been impressed by options for electoral candidates, I have barely ever voted in Trinidad either.

However, after the Tobago House of Assembly elections of January 2021 resulted in a six-six PDP/PNM deadlock, I made sure to go and register, in the event that Tobago should go back to the polls. Never before had I felt the pull to ensure that I would be eligible to contribute to an island’s future by voting.

As I joined the polling station line outdoors, a rainbow appeared, followed by a sudden light shower of rain. A pleasant elderly gent, whom I often see around the community, was walking out, smiling, obviously having just "stained his finger."

People wait their turn to vote in the THA elections outside the Montgomery Government Primary School on December 6. - Jeff K. Mayers

“The good Lord is showering blessings upon us!” he cried out, joyously raising his arms as if to embrace the rain.

Clearly, he meant that the good Lord was raining blessings on the candidate for whom he had just voted. Who that was, I did not know. Traditionally speaking, while his age might have hinted at allegiance to "the oldest party," one can never be sure.

A short moment later I heard a gentle voice behind me say: “Elspeth.” I turned to see Joel "Nuttsy" Sampson, the PDP’s representative for Crown Point/Bon Accord.

What a fortuitous moment. “Wow!” I said. “A sign of victory.”

I first met Nuttsy at the end of January 2021, soon after the THA elections. He had just missed winning his seat, having come in a few votes behind the PNM's candidate – a result that spurred my decision to get registered.

Back then, as we conversed at length, I was struck by Nuttsy’s accessible, down-to-earth nature, clear love for the community and obvious willingness to speak with, listen to and work with people. Everyone I had ever heard mention his name knew him as a humble, genuine, hardworking and honest son of the soil. He was worth giving a chance.

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The atmosphere at the polling station was peaceful. People stood in orderly lines, quiet, except for the odd light chatter and random greetings to people they recognised. While most of the voters present seemed to fall into the 30’s to 70’s age group, I noticed quite a number of elderly men and women shuffling slowly, but with great determination, aided by walking sticks or human support systems.

Upon receiving the ballot paper, I felt that I was holding something sacred. Making sure that I was aiming for the right space, I slowly and surely stamped the X. Slipping the folded paper into the box and dipping my finger into the ink was like participating in a life-changing ritual.

Voting (the few times that I had) had never seemed this significant. As I left the polling station, I felt as though I had been initiated and was now integrated into the fabric of Tobago, in a way that I never had been in nine years of living on and contributing to the island.

As Monday evening approached, I suggested to one of my fellow voting friends that we get together at 6 pm to celebrate in advance. We started with simple prayers for victory, then had drinks and snacks and chatted until 7 pm The counting of ballots would soon be televised.

The rest is history.

Congratulations to the PDP and to the people of Tobago on the "greening" of the island – reminiscent of how, even after the harshest of dry seasons, green sprouts of vegetation appear almost instantly with the blessings of the first rainfall.

Let us remember that those green sprouts don’t become crops or trees overnight and that Rome was not built in a day. It is unrealistic and idealistic to think that "new" means "now" and that this incarnation of the THA will be able to "fix" Tobago as soon as they hit the ground running. They are human beings, not superheroes.

Time, patience, understanding and wise, compassionate guidance are some of the elements needed for the plant to mature. By "voting them in," we have accepted an invitation to transcend political and other differences, and actively work together as "people who care about Tobago"– with the sole intention of making this the best island it can be.

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"My first Tobago voting experience"

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