YES Bahamas campaign organisers in the Elizabeth constituency remained optimistic about the outcome of the gender equality referendum, even though some felt they did not have enough time to educate voters.
“Going around and making education known happened too late,” said volunteer Osmond Johnson, 33.
“It was too short notice for persons to understand it, accept it, and then be able to vote in a matter of days. Most people already had their mind made up without even knowing what the vote was about.”
He added: “There were mixed emotions on the campaign trail, everyone has their own points of view and we respect their point of view.”
At the polling station in Elizabeth, voters trickled in slowly throughout the morning.
One 73-year-old female voter said: “It is a good thing, the world is evolving. You have to accept change if you want to be on par with the world. Everything is changing, you shouldn't be afraid of change.”
The elderly voter said she strongly believed that there was enough time alloted for public education; however, she theorised that many people did not make the effort to receive first hand information about the vote.
“This wasn't just started,” she said, “it started long time from last year and the year before. It's almost four years we were talking about this. They had the information.
“Bahamians don't like change, and some of them don't like to go to the meeting and see for themselves. They tend to listen to other people version instead of going themselves.”
According to organisers from the YES Bahamas campaign, the Elizabeth campaign team had about 50 persons. Of that number, some 16 were volunteers and the remaining 34 were paid staff.
The Elizabeth team has been mobilised for three weeks, according to YES Bahamas representative Mrs Peterson, who did not wish to reveal her full name.
“I was happy to know that it was a very intelligent campaign,” she said, “even though people had their ways and attitudes, we had very intelligent feedback from people in the community. The information that was sent out based on the yes campaign, it was very informative.
“We educated our persons on the ground before we sent them out so they were able to answer many questions put to them. We did enough education, the time that we went out on the field up to now.
“I'm confident I think we did our best. My prediction is that it’s going to go well with the yes vote.”
Comments
licks2 7 years, 10 months ago
This yes campaign people just don't get it. . .THEY ARE JUST OFF AND VERY OFFENSIVE AND CONDECENDING TO THE PEOPLE AND CALLED THEM STUPID AND UNINFORMED! They refused to listen or take into consideration ANY opinion and ripped anybody who asked a question, victimized anyone who had a differing opinion. . .THEY JUST DID NOT GET IT. . .THERE TOO MANY QUESTION OUTSTANDING AND THE CHANGING OF OUR CONSTITUTION IS TOO IMPORTANT FOR RAMMING "THEIR OPINIONS" DOWN OUR GULLETS. . .
SO STOPP TALKING FOOLISHNESS. . .THIS YES CAMPAIGN WAS AN EXCERCISE IS STUPIDITY. . . THE YES PERSONS CAN CONTINUE TO DELUDE THEMSELVES THINKING THAT THEY WERE DOING SUCH A VERY GOOD JOB IN INFORMING THE PUBLIC. . .WE SEND YINNA BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD!!
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 10 months ago
I echo the all caps
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 10 months ago
Stop looking for whipping boys. Open your eyes and see how many people didn't even bother to vote. Not because they supported or didn't support, but because they thought the entire process was a mockery.
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 10 months ago
Five million plus dollars ($5,000,000+) of our hard earned taxpayer dollars flushed down the toilet by the corrupt Christie-led PLP government on their misguided and rightfully failed attempt to buy votes in exchange for Bahamian citizenship and/or pandering to the agenda of the global LGBT movement! The horridly dilapidated public school I voted at sure could have used that money for desperately needed renovations and repair work. My wife actually had tears come to her eyes when she realized that all of the school's water fountains and water coolers were non-functioning and that the restrooms were in a dreadful state, not fit for human use by any standard. Yet the corrupt Christie-led PLP government would have us believe that they care about the rights of men and women (and those somewhere between men and women) being equal. Well, what about the rights of our young children who have to attend these deplorable public schools that are not fit for most animals, let alone humans?! Small wonder our children are receiving a D minus education....it is almost impossible for even the brightest amongst our young to learn anything under such horrid conditions. And no doubt the teachers at these unkept schools are from the bottom of the barrel....who else would subject themselves to working under such squalid conditions. But elitist Christie and his privileged political friends and business cronies (like Sharon Wilson, her husband Sir Snake, Maynard-Gibson, Sean McWeeney et al.) certainly don't give two hoots about the welfare of our young children and the quality of their education .....they only care about themselves....and bills 1 thru 4 were only ever about themselves in terms of their hidden agenda. Thank heavens the vast majority of Bahamians were not fooled and overwhelmingly voted "No" to all four of the bills. Christie and his merry band of bandits are corrupt, power hungry, financially greedy and completely lacking in heart or soul. I truly feel for the very young in our country today, especially the 500+ recent COB graduates.
SP 7 years, 10 months ago
................................................... TRANSLATION .........................................................
"Yes Bahamas Campaign 'Did Not Have Enough Time To Brainwash & Deceive Voters"
Publius 7 years, 10 months ago
There will never be enough time to do what the school system is not doing, because that is where national education on the Constitution and related matters is supposed to take place. Politicians love to have an uneducated populace until they need the populace to do something that only an educated populace can accommodate. Other than that, they are pleased as punch to have a majority of people who gleefully refuse to think and simply march to whatever tune their favorite politician strings up.
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