PHILIPSBURG – According to Government’s Central Voting website: As per closing of the voting stations at 8 pm today, a total of 14.582 votes have been cast in total in the 2016 St. Maarten Parliamentary elections at the 20 different polling stations which represents 64.3% of the electorate of 22.302 eligible voters. This is about 4% lower than the 2014 St. Maarten Parliamentary Elections at which saw a 69% total voter turnout.
With this number, 972 votes are needed to obtain 1 seat.
Predictions from various sources indicate different election results. For instance, from a political poll conducted by Today Newspaper: UP would get 5 seats, DP 4 seats, NA seats and USP 2 seats based on a 70% turnout. New parties would not get enough votes for 1 seat. However this is based on meager number of only 95 persons polled.
Predictions from a group on Facebook show a different result. This group had 135 persons polled (somehow one could vote more than once until a certain period during the poll which might have resulted in a skewed result) and it shows UP in the lead with 21.5%, SMCP second with 20.7% of the votes cast, Undecided third with 12.6%, DP fourth with 11.9%, NA fifth with 8.2%, USP and SDM tied at sixth with 6.7% each. PPA got 2.2%, Hope 1.5% and OSPP also 1.5%.
The voting booths have been open since 8 am and will close at 8 pm. Government personnel, which represents a group of approx 2.000 voters, will be allowed to go vote from 3 pm.
Source for hourly voter turnout: http://www.sintmaartengov.org/special-campaigns/Parliamentary-Elections/2016/Pages/Parliamentary-Elections-2014-Hourly-Results.aspx
He with no sin cast the first stone
US should loose big time. Remember: Matser was convicted for systematically and intentionally filing false tax returns that damage the country for 4 million guilders. For taking social premiums from workers and not paying them and lying about projects he had in his tax returns. He jump ship from NA to UP to US. He is on his trial still for vote buying. Laville was convicted for gun charges. He jump from UP to US. Maria was convicted for fraud and tax charges. She jump from DP to UP to US. Nice bunch of characters. Let’s see if the peoples still accept this.
I so hope you are right. The biggest crooks are on USP list, with UP a close second. Don’t forget the Harbor security contract and how Frans company (and Mark Mingo) got that contract. Went from $ 900.000 Year to over $ 2 million a year in security cost at the Harbor!!!