Premier Dr. Ewart Brown has praised the buoyant spirit of this year’s election, saying there are “no more closet elections”.

“There is a lot more visible support this year,” said Dr. Brown during a pop-by to the Smiths South polling station.

Dr. Brown appeared around 3 p.m. to encourage Progressive Labour Party (PLP) candidate Jane Correia, and to jovially shake hands with Opposition United Bermuda Party (UBP) candidate Cole Simons.

When asked about the visual support for both parties – yard signs, car flags, posters and banners, Dr. Brown

said, “People are not afraid to come out and say who they support. There was a time when United Bermuda Party (UBP) supporters were stealth voters. You’d never know they were UBP voters. Now they have flags on their cars. They have t-shirts. No more closet elections.”

Dr. Brown said it has been a spirited and at times, negative political campaign. “One of the differences that we have is that some people think the election campaign started when the election was called,” said Dr. Brown. “The election campaign was started when people thought an election was going to be called.

“That was way back in the year. Things were going on way before an election was called. So we may have started off with some negative rhetoric, but it is one of those things that Bermuda has to go through. We will have some campaigns that are a little more negative than others, and we will grow from that.”

Dr. Brown said he was impressed with the high voter-turn out and the positive mood of the candidates.

“Everybody seems to feel good,” Dr. Brown said. The Premier dismissed complaints that the campaign had pre-empted Christmas. “I think they got over it in 1979 when Sir. David Gibbons called an election on December 19,” said Dr. Brown. “That is why I feel they will get over it this time. For some people it will be a great Christmas, but for others it might not be as happy. We get over things quickly, here in Bermuda. We got over Fabian in a week.”