Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff Reporter

THE AMERICAN Embassy in Jamaica collected more than 1,000 ballots, as United States citizens here voted in the much-anticipated presidential elections between Senators Democratic Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

The embassy recorded a 600 per cent increase in voting by citizens when compared to previous presidential elections, Steve Brault, chief of the American Citizens Service (ACS) unit, told The Sunday Gleaner on Friday.

"We have been working really crazy - people calling wanting to know where to vote and how they could vote," he said.

"We collected at least 50 ballots this week alone, totalling some 300 ballots," Brault added.

Opted to vote here

Interest soared locally during the last week leading up to the November 4 elections, as US citizens in the island opted to vote at the embassy instead of flying to the North American country.

Once a ballot was collected at the embassy - located at 142 Old Hope Road in St Andrew - voters had the option to courier it themselves.

The embassy, however, provided a free-of-cost service to courier the ballots to specific polling stations.

"Overall, about 2,000 voted [through the embassy], as more than half sent the ballots themselves," he added.

The ACS unit was overwhelmed.

"This is widely multiple more than any previous presidential elections, five or six times, in the history of this embassy," Brault exclaimed.

The embassy estimates that 20,000 US citizens live in Jamaica. Of that number, 40 per cent are minors; about 12,000 are eligible to vote.

Some book flights out

Other US nationals, like Leo Williams, booked flights to the States to exercise his democratic right in the keenly contested presidential elections.

Williams, who was a collegemate of Obama's wife, Michelle, and her brother, Craig Robinson, at Princeton University in that country, said it is a historical and proud moment to vote in this election.

"My children would see this as something normal. However, there are many people whose grandparents saw a different life in America," he said, adding that he leaves the island today for the US.

Williams, a financial investment expert, will vote in Massachusetts on Tuesday.

Patricia Isaacs-Green, a local businesswoman, voted in Miami, Florida, two Wednesdays ago. The managing director of Green Produce Farm in St Ann, waited in a queue for two hours to cast her vote.

"The line was long, but that didn't matter because I wanted to make sure the right man wins," said Isaacs-Green, who has lived in Jamaica since 1995 after residing in the US for 40 years.

Green said she received many calls and electronic letters from other US nationals, from as far as Argentina and Germany, reminding her to vote.

"Especially, if you are from Florida, people will call you up to ensure that you vote," said Green.

Early voting has seen an election year hit with enormous lines in some states, such as Florida.

In 2004, 22 per cent of voters cast an early presidential ballot; the number is expected to climb to about 35 per cent this year. Stated a New York Times article: 'The Decided Go in Droves to Vote Early', posted on its website on Friday.

shelly-ann.thompson@gleanerjm.com