Thursday, December 5, 2024

People’s Referendum: NO to Offshore Oil Drilling!

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Residents of San Pedro Town came out in numbers on Wednesday, February 29th to vote in the People’s Referendum concerning offshore oil drilling in Belize. Polling stations opened countrywide at 6AM and in San Pedro Town it was no exception. The organizers in San Pedro were out very early ensuring that when the polls were opened, the entire machinery would be up and running.

A steady stream of voters was observed throughout the course of the day. Many electors were out in shirts that clearly said “No to Offshore Drilling,” indicating the sentiment of a majority of voters that turned up to participate in the referendum process. Similar to any election process, those that promoted a No-Vote to offshore exploration and oil drilling in Belize were out with flyers educating people why it should not be entertained in Belize’s pristine waters.

Once the elector was inside the polling area they were asked to present a picture identification document. Once their identification was confirmed and marked off the voters list, they then proceeded to vote. Once the verified ballot had been issued, the elector was asked to dip their pinky finger into the black ink and proceed to the booth to vote. The casting of vote was secret and the entire process was observed by several members of the Belize Justices of Peace Association. Once the elector had voted, the person folded the ballot paper and then proceeded to place the ballot into a ballot box then exited the station. With the exception of waiting in the line, the entire voting process took no more than three minutes.

The full result of voters’ decision throughout the country of Belize in the People’s Referendum is as follows:

» 51 polling stations countrywide
» 29,235 Voters Nationwide

No – 28,208 (96%)
Yes – 799 (4%)
143 Spoiled Ballots
25 Missing Ballots

San Pedro: 2,725 Votes
No – 2,666 (98%)
Yes – 42 (1.5%)
16 Spoilt

Caye Caulker: 478 Votes
No – 465 (97.2%)
Yes – 9 (1.8%)
4 Spoilt

Corozal District: 3,501 Votes
No – 3,468 (98%)
Yes – 53 (1.52%)
10 Spoilt

Orange Walk 3,356 Votes
No – 3,259 (97%)
Yes – 66 (1.9%)
19 Spoilt

Belize District: 9,463 Votes
No – 9,142 (97%)
Yes – 284 (3%)
58 Spoilt

Cayo 4,984 Votes
No – 4,743 (95%)
Yes – 136 (2.7%)
5 Spoilt

Stann Creek 3,721 Votes
No – 3,549 (95%)
Yes – 152 (4%)
2 Spoilt

Toledo 1,007 Votes
No – 946 (94%)
Yes – 57 (5.6%)
22 Spoilt

You can download a official copy of the results here

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