By Alicia Chamely

DESPITE one or two minor hiccups, voters in Tobago are reporting a smooth voting process as they cast their votes in the Tobago House of Assembly elections.

Proudly displaying her ink-stained finger on Monday morning, 89-year-old Odette Clark expressed her satisfaction with the voting process at the Buccoo Government Primary School. She explained she regularly voted in the THA elections but was unable to do so in the last election held in 2021.

In Goodwood, Michael Spencer was one of the first to cast his vote at the Goodwood Secondary School, stating he believed it was his duty as a Tobagonian to exercise his democratic right. Given the high stakes of the elections, Spencer believed there would be higher voter turnout, even if it was “just a little.”

Tobago People’s Party (TPP) candidate for Buccoo/Mt Pleasant Keigon Denoon, who caused a stir on the election trail jumping from the People’s National Movement (PNM) to the TPP, spoke to the press after casting his vote at Buccoo Government Primary School and running into his former PNM party mate turned opponent Ancil Dennis.

Questioned on his run in with Dennis, Denoon said the two maintained a “cordial relationship” despite representing different parties.

“There’s no animosity between us, and that is going to continue both in and out of election season. Both of us are from the community, and both of us want the advancement of the community, and so both of us, as I said, in an out of election season, we are going to be good friends.”

Denoon, when asked about the voting process, said, “The process was very smooth. I like the fact that the polling agents, most of them, are very familiar with what they’re doing. And so, you were in and out in less than five minutes.”

TPP Deputy Leader and candidate for Belle Garden/Glamorgan, Dr Faith Brebnor, cast her vote at the Belle Garden Multipurpose Facility, concurring that the process of voting was a smooth and simple one.

She did, however, note that there was a minor issue with the requirements for polling agents in the West, but it was resolved very quickly.

Brebnor said she had not heard of any other issues, nor had she heard of accusations that TPP members were canvasing near a polling station.

She said the TPP had a “battery of lawyers” on standby and any issues that were being had were being passed on to them, however she had heard of nothing serious.

Questioned about an altercation that took place between TPP and PNM supporters that crossed paths in Buccoo on Sunday, Brebnor said she was disappointed, and it was “unfortunate.”

Brebnor said, “I want to also call for us to be a little bit more disciplined. For us to remember that all of we are Tobagonians and that after today we all need to live here peacefully.”

PNM candidate for Darrel Spring/Whim Kelvon Morris, who had cast his vote at the Whim Anglican Primary School also stated the process was smooth, adding, “I expect that it will continue like that for the rest of the day.”

Morris admitted the PNM did have to move a tent because it was erected within a 100-meter radius of a polling station. He said it was sorted, and he had not heard of any other issues.

Just after 12pm, Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro spoke with reporters in Speyside, confirming the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service had not had any reports of violence or voting discrepancies.

Guevarro said, “Thus far, we have been able to discern that for this morning, we can report no reports of electoral violence, any discrepancies and all of that, so we have a very smooth voting process across all the polling divisions.”