Hundreds of thousands of voters are expected to cast their ballots tomorrow for the Local Government elections, five weeks after the date was announced by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
In 36 days, political parties and their representatives geared up for political meetings, walkabouts and campaigning, a stark contrast to the 53 days before polling day in 2013.
In 2013, according to the Report of the Elections and Boundaries Commission—Local Government Elections, there was a 43.6 per cent voter turnout. This was equivalent to 452,031 voters out of the 1,036,731 registered to vote. This was an increase of about four per cent over the 2010 Local Government election.
In 2010, out of the total electorate of 998,809, only 390,369 voters exercised their franchise. This was equivalent to 39.1 per cent.
In 2003, the voter turn-out was 37.9 per cent while in 1999, it was 38.7 per cent.
The last election was the first time that the system of proportional representation was used for the selection of aldermen to the regional corporations. It also saw the defeat of the then ruling People’s Partnership and the return of the People’s National Movement (PNM) in many of the corporations.
In 2010, the same year it won the general election, the PP won 74 out of the 143 seats contested, the PNM copped 36 and the Congress of the People (COP) walked away with 24.
Three years later, in 2013, it lost control to the PNM. Of the 136 seats, the UNC won 46, the PNM won 84, the COP captured three and the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) also won three.
In its manifesto, the UNC listed a seven-point pledge, the first being “People will be first in development.”
Meanwhile, the ILP’s statement is “to usher in the dawn of a new era on a new political platform that promised open and transparent governance and participatory politics.”
The ILP’s candidates will be contesting seats for the Chaguanas Borough Corporation. The political parties contesting seats are the PNM, the UNC and the ILP.
INCREASE IN ELECTORATE OVER THE YEARS:
*Between 1996 and 2013, the electorate increased by 219,922.
*In 1996 – 816,809 voters;
*In 1999 – 882,699 voters;
*In 2003 – 855,919 voters;
*In 2010 – 998,809 voters and
*In 2013 – 1,036,731 voters.