OCHO RIOS, St Ann — Clanging bell in one hand and shrouded in green-tinted smoke as he yelled “Shower, Labourites!” into a microphone clutched in the other hand, Matthew Samuda celebrated his convincing victory in Monday’s by-election to retain the St Ann North Eastern constituency for the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

Samuda amassed 95 per cent of the votes tallied during a preliminary count after ballots closed, with 4,838 to 222 for independent candidate David Fritz Anderson and 30 for Chase Neil of the United Independents’ Congress (UIC).

But Jamaica’s 16th parliamentary by-election since 1944 was marked by a low 11.6 per cent voter turnout.

Shortly after the results were announced by the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), Samuda — in front of an adoring throng of green-clad supporters — smoothly signalled the music selector to turn the music down low as he said, “Labourites, a wonder if uunu still deh yah? …Shower, Labourites, the labour party river come dung bank to bank, to bank!”

The crowd erupted, some waving green rags above their heads as they pranced.

The frenzied emotion was in stark contrast to what had played out during much of the day. It was like watching paint dry as voters trickled into the 146 polling stations across 27 voting locations in the geographically massive constituency.

At several polling stations there were more JLP outdoor agents and police than voters in the early hours after the polls opened at 7:00 am.

By mid-day the EOJ reported that at 11:00 am the voter turnout was just 5.12 per cent. That was well below the 16.44 per cent recorded at the same time during the 2020 General Election in which the JLP’s Marsha Smith — who resigned recently — emerged victorious with just over 9,000 votes.

But on Monday, JLP supporters were not worried about the low voter turnout, pointing out that Shahine Robinson won the seat with just over 5,000 votes in the 2010 by-election, which she was forced to contest after the court ruled that she was ineligible to sit in the House of Representative because she was a dual citizen.

Robinson, who died on May 29, 2020 at the age of 66, had shot to national prominence when she first won the seat in the 2001 by-election polling 7,797 votes to the Carol Jackson of the People’s National Party’s (PNP) who secured 7,324 votes.

“The great Shahine won with 5,000 votes when she was at the height of her political career in 2010 when the PNP did not contest, so anything over 4,000 says the ‘Water Man’ Samuda is here to stay,” a JLP outdoor agent, who gave her name as Kamesha, said on Monday when quizzed about the low voter turnout before 9:00 am at one polling station in the constituency.

She said she was not worried by the low numbers in the morning as she expected an uptick later in the day, as the PNP had decided not to contest the by-election.

That view was shared by several JLP supporters who spoke with the Observer as journalists from a number of media houses sought content to provide updates for their newsrooms on a day of dribs and drabs in the voting.

“It looks like a normal voting day for a by-election. It will improve as the day progresses, like from 12:00 to 1:00 in the afternoon, you will see those who are at work coming out to vote and we will be having a ‘showerous’ evening,” said Laney McFarlane, who was one of the JLP outdoor agents at Ocho Rios Methodist Church where a handful of voters had cast their ballots just before 11:00 am.

At Lime Hall Basic School, JLP supporter Glendean Pine said even though the number of voters who participated in the by-election just after midday was considered to be low, efforts were made in the Lime Hall Division to secure Samuda’s victory.

“All who in the race still in last place; Matthew is the winner already,” said Pine.

“We gone with it because we have been going for voters since morning; some come in three or four at a time. We have to make sure the votes go in for Matthew because we a send him a road. The other two competitors a just waste of time. Dem could really just sit this one out,” added Pine.

Independent candidate David “Five Pound” Anderson, was also not worried about the low voter turnout in the morning as he told the Observer that his supporters would be voting in the afternoon.

“People are raring and ready to go, my voters are coming out in the afternoon and we are ready to move,” said Anderson at the start of the day.

At the end of voting, he was still adamant that he will continue working for what he believes in.

“I’m not daunted. I’m on a mission and when you’re on a movement you can expect just about any result. I’m continuing to move, but having to face certain challenges is not easy. It’s not about numbers, it’s about getting a message across,” he told the Observer.

“The message is that we need a change from the two-type system where people come around this time and expect to change the views that people have had for three or four years. The people may not realise it yet, but the journey of a million miles begins with one step. So I just look at it that the results will reach the appropriate people,” he added.