UPP political pundits refused to respect the MB that states that political supporters must stay at least 200 meters away from all polling stations.
PHILIPSBURG:--- It appears as though the polling stations will have to work long hours this evening if the current trend continues, since most of the polling stations had a low turn out up to midday on Election Day September 26th.
Most of the polling stations SMN News reporter visited had hardly anyone in line except for Dutch Quarter Community Center and at John Larmonie Center where UPP candidate Claret Conner had his supporters inside and outside of the polling station where Conner went to cast his vote.
At the Middle Region polling station two police patrol vehicles had to be called to the scene to remove a group of youngsters that were wooing voters to vote of the UPP. At the scene was the leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger, police was seen speaking to Heyliger whom they asked to remove his supporters and placed them across the street since they were too close to the polling station. Also at the scene was National Alliance candidate Rodulph Samuel who was also protesting the amount of UPP supporters that were not adhering to the orders of the police when they were asked to move further away from the polling station.
At almost all the polling stations, including MPC, the UPP had their supporters there also campaigning and trying to urge voters to vote for the UPP, same at the St. Maarten Academy and Lionel Connor School. The National Alliance had a few people some distance away from MPC while Cedric Peterson was on the main road (under the bus shed) close to the St. Maarten Academy, in front of the Academy both the UPP and DP had people there trying to convince voters how to vote as they approach the polling stations.
SMN News caught up with the members of the main voting bureau at the Charles Leopold Bell School in Cole Bay and at MPC, also at MPC Governor Eugene Holiday, Minister of Justice Edison Kirindongo and Chief of Police Carl John was also seen inspecting the polling stations.
At MPC polling station Chairman of the main voting bureau Jason Rogers called on voters to head to the polls during the day and not to wait until the evening hours. Rogers said most of the polling stations they visited during their morning round, the turnout was low except for a very few he said the turnout was normal compared to the turn out in 2014.
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