This past Sunday, Cubans on the island stayed home in numbers not seen since 1981 despite efforts by the Castro dictatorship to “get out the vote,” which is primarily made up of intimidation and threats. But with much of the fear Cubans once held for the totalitarian dictatorship now gone, combined with their knowledge the elections are nothing more than a sham, millions decided not to comply.
Cuba saw its lowest level of voter turnout in municipal elections since at least 1981, according to preliminary government figures on Monday.
Municipal elections, held every five years, are one of few opportunities ordinary citizens on the island have to directly participate in the electoral process.
Election officials said nearly 69% of registered Cuban voters had participated in Sunday’s vote. While that turnout still compares favorably with many regional neighbors, it marks a significant drop from the 89% who voted in 2017 in the first such elections since the death of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
Cuba has long prided itself on high levels of voter turnout, billing participation in elections as a demonstration of the grass-roots nature of its electoral system.
The relatively low turnout for the Castro dictatorship’s sham election is but another indication the communist regime is slowly, but surely, losing its grip on power. The regime and its supporters in the media will do all they can to paint a happy face on it, but as of now, there’s no doubt the Castro family dictatorship’s days are numbered.