BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — An estimated 271,205 voters have begun casting their ballots in Wednesday’s snap general election that Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley called a year in advance, hoping to win a third consecutive term in office.

While six political parties and independent candidates, numbering 96, are facing the electorate for control of the 30-seat Parliament, political observers say the poll is a straight fight between the country’s two oldest political parties — the incumbent Barbados Labour Party (BLP) and the main opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

Supervisor of Elections, Sherland Turton, in a statement headlined “Prohibited Devices” has said that while “voters are assured that there will be privacy”, polling booths “will be positioned so each voter will enter the booth with his or her back to the presiding officer”.

The polling stations opened at 6:00 am (local time) and will close 12 hours later.

Turton is also reminding voters that all communication devices, including smartwatches, smartphones and smart pens, will be prohibited inside the polling stations.

With the new regulations, she said, “There will be privacy, so that the secrecy of the vote will be maintained.”

For the first time in Barbados’ political history, the election is being monitored by observer groups from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Commonwealth.

Mottley had invited the observers so as to maintain the country’s long-standing reputation for democracy and integrity, while rejecting opposition calls to postpone the poll.

All the political parties on Tuesday night sought to woo voters ahead of the polls with Mottley telling BLP supporters that “there will not be arrogance” in the party, which had won all 30 seats in the last two general elections.

For its part, the DLP speakers said, “We have to restore the balance in this country, we have to go to the polls and allow our voices…and we declare we are taking back our country.”

The Electoral and Boundaries Commission has reminded voters to ensure that they bring along their national identification cards to the polling station where they are registered to vote, adding that a valid passport or driving licence may also be presented as official identification.

Employers have also been told that workers must be allowed “a reasonable period of not less than one hour”.

“Employers must not make any deductions from wages, salaries or any other remuneration, or impose upon any elector any penalty due to their absence for the period of voting.”