Benque Stays Blue Amidst Close Competition

The People’s United Party secured another victory in the town of Benque Viejo Del Carmen but the victory did not come as easily as it did in other municipalities, as there was only an eighteen point six disparity between blue and red votes. A total of two thousand, eight hundred sixty-four ballots were cast, with fifty-nine point three percent of those votes going to the P.U.P.; as opposed to the forty point seven accumulated by the U.D.P. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story. 

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

The morning started off slow, with only two hundred sixty-nine voters showing up within the first hour. The low voter turnout would persist through the entirety of the day, dropping as low as one hundred thirty-five during what should have been a midday spike. With a turnout this low, PUP Mayoral candidate Jorge Rosales stated that he was feeling nervous for the day to come.

 

Jorge Rosales, Mayoral Elect, Benque

“Right now. I am a little bit nervous trying to get all the people squared up to come and vote.”

 

Although anxious, Rosales expressed optimism for a higher voter turnout midday, although that would later fail to be accomplished as it would reach its all-time low for the day.

 

Jorge Rosales

“So I think people are coming, but it’s a right now. It may be about seventy percent of movement has been maybe about one o’clock, two o’clock. Things will be a little bit stronger because people are have to do their like launch. And so after one o’clock, I think people will be more stronger around.”

 

Area representative for Cayo North, Michel Chebat noted that the activity finally picked up around three p.m. and attributed the initial slow pace to the work day.

 

Michel Chebat, Area Represenative, Cayo North

“You know what? I think the work the work day affected many people because, you know, the employers are not giving so much time. They’re giving one or two hours and we have many voters who live outside of the constituency. So they need a little bit more than that. And so I think that’s why you’re seeing the rush now because they’ve just been let out, so to speak.”

 

Despite the heightened spirits due to a rise in voters, Chebat was hesitant to predict a victory for the PUP candidates before the end of the day.

 

Michel Chebat

“Well, you know, I don’t like to count my chicken before they hatch. But you know, from what we’ve been seeing out here, Cayo North looks very positive. But this is the biggest polling station in this area. We actually have fourteen boxes here. And so this seventy-three will be the last one to finish counting. So we’re gonna probably see this around eleven to midnight tonight.”

 

After the last polling box was collected, an update on the total number of voters revealed that a little less than sixty percent of registered voters showed up to vote that day.

 

Jose Sanchez, Reporter

“So for polling station eighty-three, the last count for six p.m., there were four hundred thirty eight voters. There was a surge at the end. When you add it on to the one thousand one hundred nineteen people who already voted, we’ve had a total of two thousand three hundred fifty-seven for polling station eighty-three. For polling station eighty-four now, at last count at six p.m. there were only eighty-one people who came in. You add it on to the four hundred twenty people who voted throughout the day at eighty-four, gives us a grand total of five hundred one for polling station eighty four in Cayo. Now when you add up the totals for the day, between the two thousand three hundred fifty-and the five o’ one, and that brings us to, two thousand eight hundred fifty- eight people who voted today in Benque from the total of four thousand eight hundred sisteen registered voters.”

 

Despite the low turnout initially, the P.U.P. was able to secure a victory that night, winning all six councillor seats and another mayoral term for Jorge Rosales. Britney Gordon for News Five.