EBC: 30% turnout in local govt polls, UNC wins popular vote

DESPITE a heated campaign over three months by political parties urging electors to vote in last Monday's local government election, the turnout was just 30.34 per cent. This was revealed by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) in a statement on Tuesday evening. It was less than the turnout in the last local polls held in 2019 and was also the lowest turnout in 43 years, according to figures in the EBC report on the 2019 election.

The EBC statement said while recounts in 14 electoral districts were under way, these were the preliminary results of Monday's elections.

"With an electorate of 1,091,935 in 141 electoral districts in Trinidad, there was a voter turn-out of 30.34 per cent.

"The total votes cast were 331,300 with 996 rejected ballots." The turnout in the last local election (in 2019) was 34.71 per cent, where 374,878 people voted.

From 1987-2013 the turnout generally hovered above and below 40 per cent, but with a low in 1983 of 30.88 per cent and in 1980 of 29.45 per cent.

The EBC statement gave figures showing the UNC clearly winning the popular vote. The UNC won 173,961 votes – calculated by Newsday as roughly 58 per cent of votes cast – comfortably ahead of the PNM's tally of 130,868.

In 2019, the UNC won 203,868 votes – 54 per cent of votes cast, according to EBC data – ahead of the PNM's 162,801 votes.

Last Monday also saw the newly-formed NTA – in alliance with the UNC – tally the third highest number of votes, some 15,997. The PEP won 5,930 votes and its coalition partner the RFA won 1,041 votes. The PDP won 1,287 votes, THC won 234, MSJ won 164, UOTP 110, and TNP 45. Independent candidates won a handful of votes, including Kendall Hagley winning 191 in Mayaro South/Guayaguayare, Dixie-Ann Elliot 140 in Pleasantville, and Vivian Johnson getting 128 in Belmont South.

The preliminary results of last Monday's election saw the PNM and UNC tie by each winning seven corporations and with the 141 seats contested being roughly apportioned equally between the parties, with an edge to the UNC.