A Close One Says Poll As Trinidad & Tobago Voters Head To The Polls

NEWS AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Aug. 7, 2020: Voters in Trinidad and Tobago will go to the poll on Monday, August 10th to elect a new government for the next five years, even as a new poll shows a close race between the incumbent and the main opposition party in a race that has attracted 19 parties.

A Guardian Media-commissioned poll conducted by HHB and Associates Ltd, shows the incumbent People’s National Movement, (PNM) with a slight lead over the main opposition United National Congress, (UNC).

The first part of the poll showed that 35 per cent of respondents support the PNM and 29 per cent support the UNC, while only two percent said they would vote for other parties.

However, 16 percent of the respondents said they are still undecided, and 11 percent indicated they would not vote. The margin of error is plus four, minus four and voters on Tobago were not polled.

Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s PNM took power five years ago from Kamla Persad-Bisessar, who has accused Rowley of misleading the country on the importance of international observers.

Voters are voting to elect 41 members to the 12th Trinidad and Tobago Republican Parliament. It will be the first parliamentary election where a major Tobagonian party, The Tobago Council of the PNM, and two of the three largest parties elected in 2015, the UNC and the COP, are led by women.

The 19 political parties contesting the elections and the number of candidates contesting are as follows:

 The People’s National Movement – 41

 The United National Congress – 39

 The Progressive Empowerment Party – 28

 The Trinidad Humanity Campaign – 7

 The New National Vision – 6

 The Movement for Social Justice – 5

 The Congress of the People – 4

 The Movement for National Development – 3

 The Progressive Democratic Patriots – 2

 The National Coalition for Transformation – 2

 The Progressive Party – 1

 The Independent Liberal Party – 1

 The Democratic Party of Trinidad and Tobago – 1

 The Nationwide Organization of We the People – 1

 The Unrepresented Peoples Party – 1

 The Trinidad and Tobago Democratic Front – 1

 The National Party – 1

 One Tobago Voice – 1

 Unity of the People – 1

Polling commences at 6 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m.