Big Turnout for Cuba’s Local Elections
By Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES – If the results from the neighborhood elections held on Sunday are a good indicator, they showed considerable support for the Castro government. According to the Electoral Council the turnout was 85.94% and of those, 91.79% cast valid ballots.
As widely publicized in the lead up, the main reasons given to vote in Cuba’s local elections were to select the candidate best suited to carry out the Communist Party directives and objectives and especially show support for Fidel and Raul Castro and the other leaders.
Potential candidates to be the neighborhood representatives who oppose the current system or leadership were not allowed to be on the ballot.
Alina Balseiro Gutierrez, president of the National Electoral Commission announced at a Monday afternoon press conference that the number of voters exceeded the previous vote in 2015 and that the number of blank ballots was 4.12%, down from 4.54%.
Likewise she noted that the annulled ballots totaled 4.07% down from 4.92% in the last elections.
In the 1,100 voting districts (of the total 12,515) where no candidate to be the neighborhood delegate received 50% of the vote, there will be a runoff.
I was in Levisa on election day, they wouldn’t let me vote. But the whole town turned out
I have never lived in Cuba and only visited briefly. I can only draw from my own experience. I do remember clearly my experiences as a union member. Over the years I heard a constant stream of criticism of the union leadership and at the same time a quick rallying to defence of the union if attacked by the employer.
Might Cubans have the same relationship to the Cuban government?
Perhaps you didn’t notice in over a thousand polls no one received over 50%, so there will be another round of voting. Your information is in error.
larrybudwiser , what does your comment have to do with Cuba and these elections ? US standards is not human nature. The rest of us are better than you !
Tut tut Ken, taking a picture of an iyawo!
It is always suspect when 90% of the electorate votes for a single candidate or party. It defies human nature.