#JAVOTES2024 | Elderly voters out early at Yallahs Primary in St Thomas

The elderly were among the first set of voters at Yallahs Primary School in St Thomas to cast their ballots.

Among them were two frail senior citizens, a man and a woman.

The school houses two polling stations for voters in the Yallahs Division, which falls in the constituency of St Thomas Western.

They were immediately surrounded by election day workers aligned to the two main political parties.

A Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) volunteer held the elderly woman by her hand and made the slow walk with her inside the school compound.

The elderly man was approached by a People's National Party (PNP) volunteer who arranged for a car to take him onto the compound because his movement was severely limited.

The fight for votes is on in Yallahs Division, which the JLP won by 125 votes in the 2016 Local Government Election.

The JLP's John Lee is being challenged by the PNP Constantine Bogle.

And with the latest Gleaner-commissioned opinion poll showing the JLP with a slim one percentage point lead over the PNP, election day workers in Yallahs are doing everything to get their division in the win column.

Both elderly voters exited the school compound by themselves, the woman collecting a small box with food from a PNP volunteer.

"Dem nuh care bout nobody, dem just drop dem off an gone," said one female observer, referring to the volunteers from the two parties.

Amid the maze of cars, bikes and party supporters outside the gates of Yallahs Primary School, are loosely organised operations, anchored by outdoor agents and 'runners' from both sides seeking to identify sympathetic supporters and ensure they cast ballots.

- Livern Barrett

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