The first votes of the general election were cast yesterday as advanced polling began.Hundreds of voters attended the Seventh-day Adventist Church Hall, on King Street, where they were greeted by a raft of political candidates.Those who spoke with The Royal Gazette expressed differing views as to who would win, but agreed the election would be a nail biter.A Somerset woman said she cast her vote for the Progressive Labour Party as she felt the One Bermuda Alliance was no different than the United Bermuda Party.“They are only trying to support themselves and their friends. A lot of people try to forget that, but I still remember. It’s the rich trying to get richer,” she said. “The PLP have made mistakes, but I still trust them more than the OBA.”A 36-year-old Devonshire woman however said the opposite was true.“I’m tired of watching the Government spend my money to help pay back their friends,” she said. “I’m tired of the lies, I’m tired of the deception. Something has got to change or we will be seeing the same thing over and over again.”A 26-year-old St George’s man said he had cast his vote for the OBA due in large part to watching his friends struggle to find employment.“I know people who are struggling right now, and I just can’t see the PLP pulling us out of this,” he said. “We get a lot of announcements, but everything seems to come out a bit half-baked.“I think it will be really close this year, but I think a lot of people are disappointed with the PLP.”A 60-year-old Warwick man said: “I think the PLP has done a lot of good for people, and the people know it. They have made mistakes, but they have done a lot right.“The whole world is hurting. You can’t blame that on the Government. You can’t blame the US economy on the Government. That’s ridiculous.”Parliamentary Registrar General Randy Scott said that around 1,100 advance polling certificates had been issued, with certificates still available until 8pm today.PLP candidate Vince Ingham said he was feeling upbeat about the number of early voters.“It seems a lot of people still have the ability to travel, which is a good sign. It shows confidence and I think that bodes well looking into the future,” he said.“I’m impressed that so many voters who are not going to be here on election day itself are taking the opportunity to cast their votes. It’s a healthy sign for a democracy.”OBA candidates Jon Brunson and Shawn Crockwell said the high turnout suggested that people were eager for a new direction for the country.Mr Brunson said: “I’m excited. I believe that this is the beginning of a change for Bermuda.”Added Mr Crockwell: “We think that the public recognise that Bermuda needs to head in a different direction.”Independent candidates also made their presence known. Phil Perinchief said that while the various independent candidates have their own platforms, they hope to help create a coalition Government that can move Bermuda forward.Most politicians are pressured to vote along party lines but independent candidates have the freedom to vote with either side, he said.“Our common theme is that we want to open up the Government,” he said. “We want a coalition with a wide repertoire of opinion. We want people to know that there’s more than just the partisan points of view.”Independent candidate David William Burch said he has continued to campaign throughout Warwick South East although recovering from surgery.“I’ve been crawling all over my constituency,” he said. “I’ve been putting my material in people’s mailboxes, but a lot of them are full of debris from the other parties.”Meredith Stapff, a former narcotics detective who is running as an independent candidate in Pembroke West, used the opportunity to speak with voters about her platform.The mother-of-two said she hopes to have the Misuse of Drugs Act removed and revitalise Admiralty House Park with slides, family-owned vendors and travel to and from Hamilton.