Cayo candidates help voters with last minute registration

If you are watching this newscast and have not yet registered to vote for the upcoming election you’re pretty much out of luck. But the unregistered appear to be in a minority as citizens all over the country descended on Elections and Boundaries offices in preparation for February seventh. News Five’s Marion Ali canvassed the Cayo District and found the electoral machinery working to capacity.

Marion Ali, Reporting
The mood this morning in San Ignacio ranged from calm to testy as candidates facilitated the last minute registration of people they hoped to count on as supporters. Once they put their differences aside, the politicians at the San Ignacio Elections and Boundaries office were more or less satisfied with the registration process.

Mario Castellanos, P.U.P. Candidate, Cayo Central
“For the past two days we have been having people up to seven o’clock trying to register. They couldn’t, but we brought them in the next morning.”

“Mostly eighteen year olds and the new Belizean Nationals that were given their new nationality and it’s from both parties. You have the U.D.P’s that have got their nationality, no problem with that.”

Marion Ali
“Have you encountered any problems with the process?”

Rene Montero, U.D.P. candidate, Cayo Central
“No, not really. Everything is going smooth and we have the full cooperation of the people working in the registration office and everything is going okay.”

Marion Ali
“You’re satisfied with everything so far?”

Rene Montero
“Yes, yes. I’m pretty happy with everything that’s happening right now.”

Marion Ali
“Who are coming out?”

Orlando Habet, P.U.P. Candidate, Cayo North East
“Mostly the young people. A lot of the older people have already registered and those who were supposed to be transferred did so in July and August. Today we are trying to get those who have just completed their eighteen years of age or who have been eighteen years but haven’t been registered.”

Salvador Fernandez, U.D.P. Candidate, Cayo North
“This is a process that everyday you find, everyday you find and you think you finish, but you will never finish.”

Marion Ali
“But this is the last day.”

Salvador Fernandez
“This is the last day and we are pushing and people are still coming out. Everybody that maybe used to give our campaigners problem here and there because of work, because of their timing, which was really hectic, they are making time out today.”

Elvin Penner, U.D.P Candidate, Cayo North East
“The people are anxious to vote. They are willing to stand up in this line for six to seven hours just to be able to get in because people are really anxious.”

The process takes time because it is a thorough one, explains Gustavo Pech, Registering Officer for four of Cayo’s divisions: North, North East, Central, and West.

Gustavo Pech, Registering Officer, Cayo
“We conduct an interview concerning the particulars of the elector and we take photographs and make them sign the I.D. cards”

Marion Ali
“Have you had any instances where you’ve had to turn back people?”

Gustavo Pech
“No, no we haven’t because we can’t disenfranchise no one. We accept every application and we give them up to today if they need to bring any supporting documents because sometimes they forget to bring out their birth certificate.”

Aspiring voters in Belmopan also rushed to beat the deadline.

Hubert Enriquez, V.I.P. Candidate, Cayo South
“We’re trying to encourage people to come out because today is the last day and we want for them to make their voice known on election day, definitely.”

Marion Ali
“So you have your crowd weh you go fa and your opponents have their crowd weh they go fa?”

Hubert Enriquez
“That’s how it works, that’s the way it works, exactly.”

Marion Ali
“It’s similar to voting then.”

Hubert Enriquez
“I would say so, yes.”

John Saldivar, U.D.P. Candidate, Belmopan
“It’s going very good. Last couple of days I would believe over a hundred people have gone in and I believe today as the final day we’ll probably get a similar amount.”

For the voters, standing in the long lines was not a problem.

David Aldana, Registering to Vote, Belmopan
“To me, well, it’s important cause you have every registration eena Belize and stuff like that. You got your documents and important to be a person eena Belize right.”

Marion Ali
“So why did you wait til last minute?”

David Aldana
“Well actually because I kinda hear about it you know, have to drake by and stuff.”

Marion Ali
“You wah register today and you going go vote?”

David Aldana
“Yes ma’am.”

Voter
“I neva vote before and dis wah be mi first year.”

Marion Ali
“But you wait until the last day, so you weren’t really convinced or impressed with the…”

Voter
“No, actually they come around and seh they wah come pick me up and nobody noh show up so, and I hear today wah be the last day so I decide fu come.”

Marion Ali
“It’s important, you think, that you register and you vote?”

Voter
“Yes because lotta changes di happen right now and one vote, yoh neva know weh wah happen”

Registration offices throughout the country will remain open until seven tonight. Reporting for News Five I am Marion Ali.

Despite the large proportion of first time voters going in to register, statistics still show that the young still vote in lower percentages than their elders.