No issues reported as special voting continues

THE Elections and Boundaries Commmission (EBC) has reported that no problems were being experienced as special electors cast their ballots for the August 14 local government elections continued on Tuesday.

Newsday visited Pleasantville Secondary School, where polling stations for special voters are located. These stations cover the districts of Cocoyea/Tarouba, Mon Repos/Navet and Pleasantville. These districts fall under the San Fernando City Corporation.

There were no voters present around 10 am, but EBC staff there were busy.

The situation was similar at Marabella South Secondary School, which has polling stations for the districts of Marabella East, Marabella South/Vistabella and Marabella West. These districts also fall under the San Fernando City Corporation.

EBC officials later told Newsday voters experienced no problems there or at any other site in Trinidad where polling stations have been set up for special voters

Special voting began on Monday and ends on August 13. Special electors will not be able to vote in the elections next Monday.

Newsday understands that because of the extended period for special electors to vote, there are often trickles of them coming to vote, as opposed to large groups when regular electors cast their ballots.

Checks with some of the political parties found they had no reports of irregularities in special voting.

The National Transformation Alliance (NTA) said, "Negative."

The response of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) was: "No problem."

Who are special voters?

Election Rule 59 of the Representation of the People Act, Chap 2:01 identifies the categories of people eligible to be treated as special electors.

They include members of the police; the defence force; special reserve and estate police officers; members of the EBC; election candidates or their spouses in the electoral district where the candidate is registered; election agents or sub-agents in the electoral district they are registered in; patients in public or private hospitals; inmates in a public institution; members of the flight crew of an aircraft; and people working in offshore petroleum operations; or a person or member of any other organisation the EBC sees fit.