VOTING went smoothly in several constituencies across the Corporate Area yesterday, despite complaints from electors of lengthy delays. At several polling stations in West Central St Andrew disgruntled voters complained about the lengthy delays, which some of them blamed on the fingerprinting process.

Persons who stood in line for more than an hour became disgruntled as they accused the presiding officers of supporting a particular party.

“You know how much people dem mek walk way because of how long we deh yah,” said one man who claimed to have been standing in line for more than an hour at the Olympic Gardens Health Centre.

“Everybody haffi vote today; nobody nah leave,” said another.

With no overhead covering, perspiring voters became even more disgruntled while two police officers tried their best to keep them calm.

A stone’s throw away, at the nearby Tower Hill Basic School, voters complained that the long wait was acting as a deterrent.

“The long wait is turning off voters who have dem business fi do, because after election we still haffi have we job,” said one male voter as he prepared to leave without voting.

Another voter complained bitterly that the fingerprinting process was causing the lengthy delay in the voting process.

According to the woman, three of her fingers, instead of the usual two, were fingerprinted and that took longer than normal.

However, at polling stations in the constituencies of West Kingston, St Andrew Western and North West St Andrew, there was a steady trickle of voters with no long lines seen when the Observer visited.

Election Day workers reported a low voter turnout at polling stations in West Kingston, some of which were even empty when the Observer visited.

A source, who requested anonymity, told the Observer that some persons refused to come out to vote as they are still upset about the security forces’ operation in Tivoli Gardens in May 2010 to capture Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. Approximately 73 persons died in two days of fighting between the security forces and gunmen loyal to Coke.

“People are still hurting because all through the campaign they have not heard a word said about an enquiry being held into the loss of so many lives,” he said.

The man said normally he would have voted already but he was not motivated to vote and was not sure if he would be voting at all.

He said some persons have also expressed concerns about the JLP’s candidate Desmond McKenzie who he accused of not being a people person.

“McKenzie a go win, but him nah go win by no big majority,” he said.

Meanwhile, JLP cluster supervisor at Denham Town Primary School Deryck Stewart confirmed that there has been a lower than normal turnout of voters.

“Things have been going smoothly, but there has been a low turnout so far but I don’t know if it will pick up later,” he said.

Meanwhile, the police and soldiers stationed at Denham Town High and Primary schools had nothing to do as there were no crowds to control. The same obtained at several other polling stations across the Corporate Area.

For some of the voters waiting in long lines, it was no secret where they would be marking their X as many turned up in their party shirts bearing the image of the respective candidates.

However, while security personnel were busy turning away persons dressed in these shirts, outdoor agents from either side came to the rescue, loaning the voters white T-shirts.

Scores of persons who turned up to vote wearing their party colours had to change into neutral colours before they were allowed into some polling stations such as at the Olympic Gardens Health Centre in West Central St Andrew, while at others persons were asked to wear their shirts on the other side so as not to show the image of candidates.

Not to be outdone was a group of pedigree dogs — among them a pitbull, Doberman and German shepherd — dressed in party colours, which were taken to the polling station at the Seaview Gardens Health Centre to “cast their votes with their owners”.

As the group of young JLP supporters stood to one side holding on to the ferocious dogs, a group of People’s National Party (PNP) supporters sat on the other side with a single Collie adorned in orange harness.

Both sides pointed proudly to the animals and boasted that theirs was the best.

The Labourites, who hailed from the gritty Seaview Gardens community said they decided to take the animals out to add excitement to the voting proceedings.

“A man haffi split dem vote wid dem dog,” said one man as he held on tightly to the dog’s harness.

His friends said they had trained the dogs themselves and so had no concerns that they would attack others when they were taken into the public space.

“This dog no like green, you know, because when him see di Labourites a pass him start to bark and when him see the PNP him start wag him tail,” said one PNP supporter.

That aside, both set of supporters said they enjoyed a good relationship with each other.

“We live good down here. In Seaview Gardens JLP and PNP live good together,” said a Labourite.

Added a PNP supporter, “down here we live good, we nah kill we one another, but we tired a di shower ting”.

At Mona High School in Eastern St Andrew, where JLP leader and Prime Minister Andrew Holness voted, there was a steady stream of voters from as early as 7:00 am, with cars lining both sides of the road as motorists jostled for parking in the upscale community.

The early birds included upper and middle class persons who cast their ballots ahead of the start of work, and residents from the neighbouring upscale communities who strolled leisurely down to the centre.

One voter complained that the process was a little slow as it took him 20 minutes to cast his vote.

“But based on the process I guess they really can’t go any faster,” he told the Observer.

At 8:06 am Holness, escorted by his security personnel, arrived at Mona High School and was immediately escorted to the front of the line.

After a private discussion with a polling station worker he went inside and cast his vote. Two minutes later he emerged with a broad smile, showing his ink-stained finger.

Speaking to journalists after marking his X, Holness said the party was not basing victory on the results of polls but on the seat-by-seat analysis done through sampling and canvass.

“And on both counts we are ahead,” Holness said.

As such, Holness said he would reserve his comments on the poll that predicted a 34 to 29 victory in favour of the PNP.

Immediately after voting, Holness went to his constituency where he was said to have spent the day monitoring the islandwide election proceedings.

Meanwhile, orange- and green-clad outdoor agents were busy working together in harmony as they checked the names of voters as they entered the school compound.

“We have to work together because after election we are still one Jamaica,” said one outdoor agent.

The JLP outdoor agent said some voters are insisting on speaking only with the persons wearing the party colours of their choice.

“Some people say dem no want talk to nobody in green or dem no want talk to nobody in orange,” she told the Observer.

At the Pembroke Hall Community Centre in North West St Andrew there were no lines as voters trickled in to cast their ballots.

Cluster supervisor for the JLP Novlette Howell said the flow of voters was relatively good, but explained that there had been no long lines.

She said some five persons were waiting in line when that polling station, which accommodated, five polling divisions, opened at 7:00 am.

Cluster supervisor for the PNP, Trudie Mitchell, said while voting progressed smoothly, she was concerned that a number of the presiding officers were affiliated with the JLP.

When asked what was the concern, Mitchell said “I just don’t trust them because I live in the area and know that they are JLP and I have expressed this concern to the returning officer.”