Barbados Vote 2018 | Strong turnout of young voters in early polling

Barbadians were out from as early as 4:30 a.m. local time, ready to cast their votes in what has been tagged as a historic election.

"We have seen a marked increase in the number of young people voting in this election," returning officer Gloria Metford for the City of Bridgetown constituency told The Gleaner.

Her observations were confirmed by a number of voters who are 21-years-old and under, who admitted being influenced by the calls for change.

"The people of Barbados want change and I am supporting what the people want," said 21-year-old teacher Racheda Doyle. 

According to her, most of her friends share the same position on the matter.

"We are young and we really know nothing about politics, right now we are going with the people," she said.

Some 250,000 persons in the eastern Caribbean island are expected to vote in the hotly-contested election which has as its front-runners incumbent Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and leader of the Barbados Labour Party, Mia Amor Mottley.

Nine political parties and several independent candidates, including Natalie Harewood, a former prostitute, are contesting the polls.

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