The country of Belize has been declared red once again with the United Democratic Party taking the majority of seats in the House of Representatives in the double elections that took place on Wednesday, March 7, 2012. It was not a landslide victory, but the UDP took 17 of the 31 seats needed to claim victory. This time around, the PUP was able to capture a larger seating than last elections, with 14 seats.
“This has been the most exciting race,” commented a voter who was anxiously awaiting the results.
“This election is very tight and tense, I can’t even study good,” commented another.
In San Pedro, Manuel Heredia Jr. managed to hold his position in government with 49.7% of the votes (2,479), besting out three other candidates out of the 4987 votes that were cast in San Pedro and Caye Caulker. The voter turnout in the BRS constituency was 70.23%.
Manuel Heredia managed to win all nine boxes in San Pedro while Patty Arceo took both boxes in the neighboring island of Caye caulker.
General Elections Results
UDP Jose “Manuel” Heredia Jr.: 2,479 (49.7%)
PUP Anna Patricia “Patty” Arceo: 2,026 (40.6%)
Independent William “Mike” Campbell: 24 (.5%)
VIP Robert “Bobby” Lopez (VIP) 332 (6.7%)
4987 votes cast San Pedro and Caye Caulker 70.23%
126 Rejected
UDP’s Daniel Guerrero is New Mayor of San Pedro
The United Democratic Party of San Pedro Town won six out of the seven seats in the San Pedro Town Council. Daniel Guerrero won the Mayoral seat and Wally Nuñez was the only member of the People’s United Party to win a seat as councilor, besting out Yolanda Parham from a complete UDP Town Council. Gabriel Nuñez was the candidate who received the highest votes amongst all the candidates.
Wally Nuñez Jr. is the only PUP Candidate to win a seat in San Pedro Town Council
Town Council Municipal Elections
Candidates United Democratic Party (UDP)
Daniel “Danny” Guerrero – Mayoral Candidate 1,716
Carlos Enrique Barrientos: 1,996
Kenrick William Brackett: 2,027
Severo Guerrero Jr.: 2,126
Gabriel “Gabby” Nunez: 2,160
Yolanda Parham: 1,885
Guillermo “Mito” Paz: 2,026
Candidates People’s United Party (PUP)
Conchita Flota – Mayoral Candidate: 1,502
David Aguilar: 1,779
Marina Graniel Kay: 1,923
Gualberto “Wally” Nunez: 2,021
Raymond “Mundo” Nunez: 1,911
Viana “Viannie” Perez: 1,756
Maribel “Mar” Vasquez: 1,665
Independent Candidates
Melanie “Mel” Paz – Mayoral Candidate: 629
Councilors:
Francisco Bernabe Badillo: 216
Hilberto Graviel Sanchez: 245
At the Polls
Things got off to a good start at Polling Station 37 (San Pedro High School) in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye on Election Day 2012, as people headed as early as 6 a.m. to start making lines. But shortly after the voting process commenced, things started to slow down as the waiting lines grew large and the voting process kept getting longer. People in the long lines at ‘A-B’, ‘G’ and ‘M-N’ took up to three hours to vote and people were wondering what the problem was.
Just after midday only about 35% of the registered voters had cast their votes and people were worried that there would be a low voter turnout in the Belize Rural South Division. But it seemed that residents of San Pedro waited for the afternoon and the last minute to head to the polls. At around 5 p.m. polling station 37 was jam-packed with voters. At that time the percentage of voter turnout had jumped to 56.83% in the General Elections and 54.4% in the Municipal Elections.
Belize Rural South (BRS) made history this election as the only constituency that had four candidates contesting the BRS seat in the House of Representatives. In the case of Polling Station 37, there were 6,289 registered voters who could cast their votes in both Municipal and General elections.
There are 7,100 registered voters in BRS that is divided into three polling areas. Polling Station 37 in San Pedro High school for voters registered in Ambergris Caye (6,289 voters); Polling Station 34 for voters registered in Caye Caulker and Polling Station 38 for voters in other cayes in the Belize District. Electors for polling station 34 and 38, which total 811, voted at the Caye Caulker Roman Catholic School (811 voters).
