ST THOMAS, Jamaica— Most electors in the St Thomas Western constituency who spoke with the OBSERVER ONLINE this morning said the entire process took about half an hour out of their day.

Save for two of the polling stations at the Yallahs Primary School and one at Yallahs Baptist Church, the lines were either very short or non-existent in the first three hours of voting.

One elector in the line to vote at polling station 42 at Yallahs Primary said he had been waiting for almost an hour.

“Me just come fi vote before me go work, but this line a move slower than all the rest, and the sun hot,” he said.

Another voter in the line was more patient.

“Well a lot of senior citizens are in this line, and it’s just that more people who register for this station come out, so a just so it go,” she said, as she used a rag to shield her face from the glare of the sun.

Voters at the Yallahs Baptist Church are spared from the sun’s glare, as their lines are much shorter, and mainly formed in shaded areas and inside the church hall.

There is a noticeably strong security presence at both locations, as officers from both the Jamaica Defence Force and Jamaica Constabulary Force are out in their numbers. They, along with election day workers, affirmed that things have been running smoothly and voters have been compliant with all COVID-19 protocols so far.

Officials and voters at the White Horses and Springfield divisions in the constituency also reported that things are going smoothly so far.

More information later.

Candiece Knight