Dramatic low turnout for first round of territorial elections

MARIGOT – The enthusiasm for the territorial elections on the French side has never been impressive. In 2012, just 52.1 percent of the 17,892 voters went to the polls and yesterday the numbers looked even worse halfway through the day. When the pools closed at 6 p.m. those numbers became a reality: only 42.4 percent of eligible voters went to the polls.

Just 8,601 voters cast a vote, meaning that the other 11,675 voters had better things to do.

At 4 p.m., just 35 percent of the 20,276 voters (7,103 total) had bothered to cast their vote.

With that score, the turnout threatened to fall below the 50-percent mark. In 2012, the turnout jumped in the last two hours from 39.5 to 52.1 percent.

The eight participating parties campaigned until the last day, Saturday. An event staged by the Soualiga Movement near the Vanterpool Stadium drew however just a handful of people and that turned out to be a good indication of voter-interest yesterday.

The results of the first round of these territorial elections were not available yet at press time.

Next week Sunday, voters go to the polls for the second and decisive round.

Photo caption: Voters outside the polling station at the Nina Duverly Primary School on the Rue de Hollande in Marigot. Photo Today / Leo Brown

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