Dionne Rose & Keisha, Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporters

Jamaica Labour Party supporters celebrate wildly at party headquarters on Belmont Road, New Kingston, yesterday, after the JLP won 31 seats to the PNP's 29. - Ricardo Makyn/StaffPhotographer

Not even the intermittent showers in Western St. Thomas could keep away 74-year-old Charlie Griffiths, who is physically challenged, from casting his vote yesterday.

Griffiths, who is a double amputee, told The Gleaner he stayed away from the polls the last time because he was ill. He was determined that this time around he would exercise his franchise.

Griffiths was not the only elderly person who was out voting in St. Thomas yesterday. Seventy-six-year-old Bernel Daley, whose vision is dim, was also resolute, even if it meant switching allegiance.

"Mi not working and mi nah get no support so mi nah go back wey mi a come from," she told The Gleaner. "When yuh try everything and everything fail, yuh have fi try Jesus, so now it left to try 'Sister P' to do something fi di poor."

But 62-year-old Leonard Cameron said he wanted to vote out the People's National Party (PNP).

Rich and fruitful

"I feel like seh that I shouldda really give the bell (the Jamaica Labour Party) a chance," he said.

"But the head (PNP) nuh treat we good; the head mash up the country bad, bad, man, and as far as to how me see it, maybe man haffi go start eat man, but me nuh want dat. Jamaica too rich and fruitful fi we a go eat we one another," he continued.

The young voters were also out in their numbers. According to a policeman from the Yallahs Police Station, some 60 to 65 per cent of the voters were young adults.

Twenty-one-year-old Syon McKenzie was one such first-time voter.

"Me decide fi vote because me want a change, and me hear Bruce a talk seh him a go mek some change pon things like hospital care and free education," he said.

Other young voters also shared similar sentiments. They said they believed a change would bring about employment to the parish.