in New York

Vincentians residing in New York are confident and hopeful that President Barack Obama will be re-elected in elections today.{{more}}

Although some of them are ineligible to vote, many Vincentians told SEARCHLIGHT they support Obama, a Democrat, over his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney.

Obama is the United States’ first African-American president.

A construction worker in his late 50s, who gave his name as Joel, said he was waiting for his citizenship documents.

He said he regrets not being able to cast his ‘X’ for Obama, adding that apart from the president’s ethnicity, Obama has the country’s interest at heart.

“He do a lot for we immigrants, man. Romney only concern about he own,” Joel, originally from Mesopotamia, said.

“If it was up to him (Romney) all ah we would go home.”

Jasmine, a 40-year-old US citizen who hails from St Vincent’s Leeward coast, said that although she does not agree with all of Obama’s policies, she believes they would move the country forward.

She, however, said she is highly skeptical about Romney’s plans.

“Some of the things Obama pushing, I’m not for it, but he passed a health care plan for everybody, and he helping the country back from the worst economic situation ever, and you know America is all about money,” she said.

“Oh and he kill (Osama) Bin Laden,” Jasmine added.

Other Vincentians residing in New York expressed support for Obama — who has a white mother and a black father — because he is of African descent.

Americans go the polls today, with some persons having braved the cold and gas shortage to cast their votes early to return home to watch the ballots being counted.

Some voters took advantage of the opportunity to vote early this year in the 34 states which allow early voting.

And pundits said yesterday that Obama had a slight lead over Romney.

The world is playing close attention to the election outcome, as it is expected to have special implications for the international economy .

Obama beat his Republican challenger John McCain in 2008 to become the 44th president of the United States, replacing George W. Bush, another republican, who served the maximum eight years.