Belize City voters give mixed opinions on elections

It’s just a matter of hours until Belizeans living in the country’s two cities and seven towns will go to polls to select their Mayors and councilors. It has been a low-key campaign until the last leg when slick political ads began airing and foot soldiers for the parties began knocking on doors. This year, a hundred and sixty-four candidates will be on the ballots… and up until that hundred yard line they will be trying to convince supporters to cast their “x” next to their name. And while the candidates may be feeling anticipation, this morning a News Five crew took a stroll through downtown Belize City to gauge the mood of residents. Here’s a sample of what they had to say.

Delahnie Bain
“Elections are tomorrow, you’re ready to vote?”

Voter #1
“Yes ready to vote and I encourage all Belizeans to come out and vote cause dah wi right and it’s something weh pah if something the affect you, dis dah di part fi step up.”

Delahnie Bain
“Have you already decided who you’re voting for?”

Voter #1
“Well it’s more like a secret but I’ll tell you this the way I see it in the overall picture, dah like boxing. If you want workout two weeks before the championship fight, you could do it.”

Delahnie Bain
“You’re ready to vote in the elections tomorrow?”

Voter #1
“I ready from it announce.”

Delanie Bain
“And you already decided who you are voting for?”

Voter #1
“Yeah, sure.”

Delahnie Bain
“Who do you think will take the votes this year—the red or the blue?”

Voter #1
“I think the red.”

Delahnie Bain
“Even with all of the controversies now?”

Voter #1
“Well you see some of the controversies are simple things, da noh major things.”

Voter #2
“Zenaida Moya gonna take it all. Zenaida Moya. People’s United Party can’t handle we.”

Duane Moody
“What are you doing today?”

Voter #2
“Right now I am distributing U.D.P. shirt to people that will like to have one. And if they take it and throw it away, I don’t have a problem with that.”

Duane Moody
“Ma’am tomorrow is elections. Are you ready to vote?”

Voter #3
“For P.U.P.”

Duane Moody
“Why P.U.P. ma’am?”

Voter #3
“That’s the party that helps di poor people dehn.”

Duane Moody
“Do you feel that this time around they are going to take back the votes—the city?”

Voter #3
“Yes, they will take back the city. Have to cause lot of poor people di punish.”

Delahnie Bain
“So, you’re ready to vote tomorrow?”

Voter #4
“Yap I do.”

Delahnie Bain
“Well you’ve clearly decided who you’re voting for. You’re confident in your party?”

Voter #4
“I dah P.U.P. I dah P.U.P. all the way, I dah P.U.P. ‘til I dead. I wahn always vote P.U.P.”

Duane Moody
“Why is that?”

Voter #4
“No matter what my party do, I always support my party cause I dah blue and I think if dat dah your party, I no care what, you need fi have your party back. So I dah wah supporter for P.U.P. ‘til I dead. So dehn noh have to worry bout me. I straight.”

Duane Moody
“Have you already decided more or less to which party you are going to vote for or are you going to vote for the individual person?”

Voter #5
“Both.”

Duane Moody
“Who do you feel is going to take this election more or less?”

Voter #5
“That’s a good question. I think I’ll reserve that.”

Voter #6
“We noh vote mein.”

Duane Moody
“Your religion does not allow you to vote?”

Voter #6
“No, the thing is we done give our vote to god so we just no vote as it were. Because if you vote for two party your ballot spoil so we already give it to God so we noh take part in the voting.”

Duane Moody
“Are you ready to vote?”

Voter #7
“No, I noh ready fi vote.”

Duane Moody
“Why not?”

Voter #7
“I just no feel comfortable yet.”

Duane Moody
“You haven’t made a decision as yet noh?”

Voter #7
“Exactly.”

Duane Moody
“On a personal note, do you feel that the people are going to vote for one colour, for the full slate or they are going to maybe split depending on personalities?”

Voter #7
“I really noh know, dat da fi dehn decision bout dat. I really noh know.”

Duane Moody
“It should not be fi deh, it should be fi you and ours.”

Voter #7
“I know ih supposed to be fi be fi we, but I just noh feel comfortable yet, but maybe by tomorrow I wah make my decision.”

Voter turnout during municipal elections is normally not as high as general elections, averaging around fifty-four percent.