“I came to Khalda only to sell coffee to the people who come to cast their ballots. I knew that there would be lots of voters and this is why am here. I have been here since 8:00am and so far, I have made good money,” Hatem told The Jordan Times yesterday.

“I do not want to vote, I just want to make a living… this is what I really care about, because I do not think the candidates will keep their promises,” Hatem added.

His colleague Ali, 21, was sitting by the roadside outside a school in Khalda with a stash of bottled mineral water.

“It is hot today and I thought selling cold water was a good idea in this weather, especially with the large numbers of people voting here,” he said.

“I just do not feel like voting. I simply do not feel like it,” he responded, when asked if he was going to cast a ballot.

Amal Othman, who was passing by the polling centre in Um Al Summaq, also did not feel like voting, because she feels that none of the candidates presented projects that are eligible for future implementation.

The 20-year-old University of Jordan law student believes that municipal elections only benefit the elected candidates, and do not have an impact on the lives of ordinary citizens.

“It is true voting is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, however, people should only vote for those who win their trust, are really able to represent them in the municipal councils and raise their demands to lawmakers,” said Othman.

But other young people who converged at polling centres in the capital, expressed their enthusiasm for taking part in the elections, which they said involves them in the “decision-making process”.

“I am so happy that I cast my ballot… this is the first time I am voting and I thank the government for its decision to lower the age of eligible voters to 18, which helped me and my peers get involved in this democratic activity. The decision shows that the government is concerned with activating the participation of the younger generation,” 18-year-old Akram Barghouthi told The Jordan Times.

Under the new Municipal Elections Law, the age of eligible voters was reduced from 19 to 18 to expand the voter base.

Some young voters cited family connections as the motivation behind their participation in the polls, while others said they voted for candidates who promised to upgrade services and create jobs.

 “I will vote for Amer Al Bashir. He is a relative of mine and all my family and relations are voting for him. He also helped upgrade several services while serving at the Greater Amman Municipality and my father says he has the required experience,” Barghouthi said.

Nineteen-year-old Hayfa Bashir brought her friends to the polling centre to vote for her uncle.

“We did not vote for him only because he is my uncle, but also because he deserves to win as he has done many good things while serving at GAM,” she told The Jordan Times.

Also at the Khalda polling centre was Mahmoud Daadas, a 21-year-old resident of Baqaa refugee camp.

 “I think it is very important to vote because voting is a means by which we express our opinion and elect the candidate of our choice,” Daadas said.

“I voted for a candidate whose agenda appealed to me. He promised to upgrade health and educational services in the camp, create jobs for unemployed camp residents and also said he would work on opening centres for youth and public parks for  children. These are things  we all want in the camp and I believe in him and that he will meet his promises. That is why I voted for him,” he added.

Election day sound bites

“The candidate we voted for promised many things in the past and kept most of his promises by helping to meet our demands at the camp, so we reelected him… He also promised to work on ensuring that everyone in the refugee camp would get water and electricity and reduce the cost of living.”  —  Latifah Hamadah

“I had lots of things to do at home but I decided to come and vote for a candidate who ran for elections before and managed to keep his promises.” —  Dina Qadi

“I think taking part in the elections is a national duty and everybody should participate. This is why I am here today.” —  Ayah Khayat

“I will vote for a candidate who promised to create public parks in Jabal Hussein.  The area is crowded with buildings and markets and there is no space for families and their children.” —  Shireen Naser

“I will vote for a candidate who said he will ensure that maintenance work is carried out on the streets of the camp.” —  Atef Marshoud

“Why vote and waste my time… What will I gain at the end of the day? It is only the candidates who will benefit.” —  Hassan Salem