It's official–Monday's Local Government Election voter turnout was 34.34 per cent
The Elections and Boundaries Commission yesterday confirmed the figure among official results for the election.
The ruling People's National Movement (PNM) won seven corporations and the Opposition United National Congress (UNC), six. They tied for the Sangre Grande corporation 4-4.
The EBC's voter turnout figure corroborated a 34 per cent figure which Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, during Thursday's post-Cabinet press briefing, said the PNM had information on. He'd denounced unconfirmed, preliminary estimated figures as he gave the figure the PNM had acquired.
Monday's electorate, according to the revised EBC list, was 1,054,817. Total votes cast were 362,254 and the valid votes were 361,169. There were 1,085 rejected ballots.
Official results showed the ruling PNM received 174,754 votes and the Opposition UNC won a total of 180,758.
Six other parties which also contested, as well as four Independents, gained totals under 1,900.
The Congress of the People (COP) won 1,893 votes in the nine seats contested in San Fernando, Siparia, San Juan/Laventille and Tunapuna/Piarco.
The Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), which contested 11 seats in Point Fortin, Arima and Tunapuna/Piarco, won 790 votes.
The Independent Liberal Party, which contested seven seats in Chaguanas alone, won 343 votes.
The new National Solidarity Assembly (NSA) won 804 votes in Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo and Sangre Grande where it contested.
The National Democratic Party received 244 where it contested three areas in Port-of-Spain alone.
The Independent Democratic Party (IDP), which contested in Siparia alone, received 602 votes.
Four Independent candidates received a total of 1,071 votes contesting areas in PoS, San Juan/Laventille and Siparia.
Highest turnout in Mayaro
Highest voter turnouts were in UNC areas, topped by Mayaro (49.82 per cent), Chaguanas (40.54 per cent), Princes Town (41.55 per cent), Siparia (41.82 per cent), Penal/Debe (40.43 per cent) and Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo (37.67 per cent).
Lowest voter turnout in a UNC-won area was Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo. However, the UNC's largest number of votes–38,410–came from that corporation area.
The lowest turnout was in PNM-held Diego Martin (21.80 per cent), Port-of-Spain (22.78 per cent) and San Juan/Laventille (24.64 per cent).
Turnout in other PNM areas was Arima (31.87 per cent), Point Fortin (34.91 per cent), San Fernando (36.27 per cent), and Tunapuna (32.66 per cent).
The turnout in tied Sangre Grande was 37.69 per cent. There, the PNM received 10,582 votes and the UNC 10,408. The only other contestant–the NSA–polled 359 votes.
Another close fight was in Siparia, where the PNM polled 14,105 votes and the UNC won with 14,934. The IDP, which contested there alone, received 602 votes while the COP got 55 and Independent candidates, 139 votes.
The PNM's Siparia co-ordinators were Joan Yuille-Williams and chairman Franklin Khan.
The PNM's highest number of votes came from Tunapuna/Piarco (32,776) and San Juan/Laventille (22,074). Tunapuna co-ordinator was Udecott chairman Noel Garcia while the San Juan co-ordinator was Anthony Roberts.
The PNM's lowest total votes were from Point Fortin (4,588) and Mayaro/Rio Claro (5,897).
Apart from the UNC's highest number of votes in Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo (38,410), the UNC's second highest was in Penal/Debe (24,310).
The highest number of votes won by the other parties were COP (1,328 in Tunapuna), MSJ (402, Point Fortin) and NSA (373, Couva).
RESULTS FOR TWO MAIN CONTENDERS – PNM & UNC
?ARIMA: PNM (6,585), UNC (2,308).
CHAGUANAS: PNM (9,811), UNC (16,862)
POINT FORTIN: PNM (4,588), UNC (854).
PORT-OF-SPAIN: PNM (7,413), UNC( 719).
SAN FERNANDO: PNM (10,543), UNC (5,429).
COUVA/TABAQUITE/TALPARO: PNM (16,427), UNC (38,410).
DIEGO MARTIN: PNM (15,782), UNC (3,323).
MAYARO/RIO CLARO: PNM (5,897),
UNC (8,655).
PENAL-DEBE: PNM (6,436), UNC (24,310).
PRINCES TOWN: PNM (11,735), UNC (21,819).
SAN JUAN/LAVENTILLE: PNM (22,074), UNC (10,171)
SANGRE GRANDE: PNM (10,582), UNC (10,408).
SIPARIA: PNM (14,105), UNC (14,934).
TUNAPUNA/PIARCO: PNM (32,776), UNC (22,556)
?