Much of the Caribbean had been under colonial subjugation until close to the end of the 20th century. With their newfound independence, many nations of the Caribbean sought to implement a new democratic system as an honorable way to decide their national and local representative. The main perk of democracy is having the ability to vote. Voting is the most efficient way to amass the opinions of a large group of people in a short amount of time. It also provides the citizens a functioning role in their country’s government. This explains why voting is such an important part of Caribbean life. This is exemplified in various Caribbean media, notably their news articles and opinions sections, where elections are widely spoken and debated about.

Normally, mostly citizens who are currently residing in a specific country would participate in that country’s elections. But in the case of many Caribbean citizens abroad, these citizens continue to cast their vote during their country’s elections while abroad, typically in the U.S. In addition, politicians running in an election know to bring their campaign abroad as well as locally because they know that votes from abroad could easily tip the election in or out of their favor. In the article “Diaspora Vote Not On The Cards…For Now” from The Gleaner, a Jamaican News website, the state minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade makes a statement about how being abroad shouldn’t affect one’s right to vote, especially when the person is fully eligible. The argument against this claim is the fear that those abroad aren’t fully aware of what happening in the country they are voting in, so their vote would be based on perception and not reality. Regardless, the determination of those abroad who still participate in the elections of their homeland is a critical example of the value of voting to Caribbean people. Several Caribbean nations’ policy of dual citizenship further expresses the importance of voting to the community because the community believes by voting, it’ll lead to improvement of their current condition. Dual citizenship will allow people to vote abroad and at home, which adds to the possibility of electing candidates who will share the same goal to better Caribbean life as those voting for them.

In the article “Commentary: Record turnout during the LaPlaine Village Council elections in January” from Dominica News Online, the long lines people wait to cast their ballot signifies how much they care about who their representative is. Though long lines are an inconvenience to daily life, the village’s need to add their voice in deciding their councilperson greatly outweighs that. The article further emphasizes how important voting is for the community because it’s the only way to get rid of corrupt leaders who puts society in disorder. It also voices the significance of being critical of the politicians elected because they have their own agendas that may not necessarily be the same as what the voter hoped it to be. Other articles that voice a similar criticism include the “Commentary: Identifying the millions of ‘dark money’ that floods Dominica’s election and attempted murder of truth” from the same site. Here, Joshua Francis, a member of parliament, points out questionable actions of the Dominica Labour Party and claims that the party has committed illegal activities for funds for its campaign. Comments on the article vary from very opposed to very supportive.

The thumbs up and down function in the upper right corner of each comment can give a general idea of what percentage of the community agrees with the article or not. Articles like these have the purpose to inform the readers of the background

events that might not be widely known so voters can make a more educated choice. It also helps inform those abroad of local events. Whether or not these allegations are true or not, it is still crucial to be aware of the potential of such an issue.

Articles like these have the purpose to inform the readers of the background events that might not be widely known so voters can make a more educated choice. It also helps inform those abroad of local events. Whether or not these allegations are true or not, it is still crucial to be aware of the potential of such an issue.

Other articles also denote how people should vote. These articles are meant to sway the votes more to one side so that an apparent winner can surface. These articles are usually really biased and only point out the negatives of a certain party candidate. On Caribbean Now News, a letter from a reader mentioned how voting for the NNP (New National Party) will only bring a series of unfortunate events to Grenada. How factual and subjective the content of the letter is up for debate but it can be seen as an ignorable reminder about what the people are voting for. The letter is split into two parts, which points out how much complaints the writer has. On the other hand, some articles are more subjective and are catered towards bettering the voting population. In “Vote for St. Lucia” from the St. Lucia Star, Victor Marquis prompted the reader to be conscious of how important their vote is. He emphasizes the need to be mindful of the entire nation of St. Lucia when voting rather than being focused purely on local advantages the candidates promise. This information is very helpful in educating voters to be voting literate. Being able to vote plays a prominent role in the Caribbean community’s lives so it’s important for them to be able to execute that right effectively.

Being able to vote has allowed Caribbean communities to feel empowered by giving them the power to choose. In news sources like the St. Lucia Star and Dominica News Online, there are polls available to survey its readers’ thoughts on various topics. These polls serve as a simple analogy to voting in a real election. Without having an important ramification from voting in these internet polls, it serves as safe practice for the real voting that happens during election season.

 

In the case of the Haiti election in 2015, the election didn’t conclude until January of 2017. During the time between these two dates, having the online poll helps symbolically fulfill any need of the community to cast a vote. Another interesting point of the 2015 election is the stubbornness of the Haitian citizens in seeing the entire election go through to the end. The result was having President-elect Jovenel Moise become president. Even though the election got postponed for nearly two years, the citizens were insistent on getting the candidate they want to be elected. This shows how the expected results of the Caribbean vote is just as important as the availability of being able to vote.

With new democratic ideas entering the minds of Caribbean communities through the media, the importance of voting is playing a more solid part in Caribbean life. Online news sites and opinion columns have served as an outlet to let the Caribbean population know various tips and information that might affect their vote. Even without these tools, the Caribbean community still, without fail, exercises their power to vote because it is a reward they had strived for since many generations under colonial rule.