Voting began very early in Manchester this morning. Voters at the Christiana Courthouse in the North East constituency were in line to dip their finger in ink before 7 a.m.

With security forces out in numbers, voting is going smoothly, almost in an anti-climactic fashion, given the tense atmosphere prior to polling. Roads have been quiet and there have been no reports of violence.

According to voters, this is the heaviest police presence in at an election. “Police deh everyweh,” said a passer-by.

Independent observers, Citizens’ Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), are also at polling stations, paying close attention to the goings on.

There are only two reports of a voter being turned away in Manchester and both at the deCarteret College polling station.

One polling station, at Hatfield, where the heaviest turnout has been reported, opened a little late. Apart from that voting has been quiet, and in one station, Craighead, voting has been very light.

In the central Manchester constituency, People’s National Party (PNP) Candidate, Peter Bunting will vote in Kingston, where he lives, while Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate Sally Porteous is scheduled to place her ‘X’ at the Kendal All-Age School at 10 a.m.

An interesting trend seems to be developing in Manchester, where only older people have been witnessed exercising their right to vote.