Tonight, San Ignacio Town and Bullett Tree Village are electric with political excitement - because, in case you forgot, there will be a bye election for a new representative in Cayo North on Monday.
It's a relatively minor political event, which will change nothing in the balance of power in the House of Representatives - and so the energy and excitement that ahs developed over it are truly out of proportion.
That's because these days the political temperature seems to stay at near boiling point - and because for the UDP, it is the start of the drive to a third term in government: the ruling party hopes to dominate this and March's municipal elections, so that they can see their way to a third term.
And that's why tonight, a platoon of ministers, contract officers and political operators form the ruling party are in Cayo - and they aren't going home until counting is done on Tuesday.
In the middle of all this hubbub are two relatively untested political candidates - Omar Figueroa and Richard Harrison. We spoke to both of them today, Figueroa first:..
Omar Figueroa, UDP Hopeful - Cayo North
"It's excellent Jules, it feels just the way it felt from day one. I can't wait to get it over with and get to work for the people of Cayo North."
Jules Vasquez
"I'm just saying that sometimes unlikely events happen, are you aware that elections have this level of unpredictability because at the end of the day, people will do what they want in that box?"
Omar Figueroa, UDP Hopeful - Cayo North
"Well Jules, there are different ways of looking at this election. Out of the last 4 elections, Cayo North has voted blue. The last election the PUP won Cayo North. So I don't think the pressure is on me. When the people want to vote for a certain person, it doesn't matter what kind of resources are in the background, they know who they want to represent them and that's what will guide them on election day."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you concern that perhaps people will take it as a chance to lash out against a government, an incumbent and whenever you are in office, right now its 7 years and people have this built up resentment against you and that people may have issues with the government and choose to take it out on you."
Omar Figueroa, UDP Hopeful - Cayo North
"Jules you are making some assumptions that have no basis. There is no resentment out there. Peoples have open up their doors for me. I have told you, I have sat down with them and talking to them and we will see the results on Monday. The results will answer a lot of your questions Jules. I mean there is absolutely no resentment out there."
Jules Vasquez
"People may tend to tell you one thing and they go and do exactly what they want in that box. Are you aware of how people sometimes they might tell you a story and go do something else?"
Omar Figueroa, UDP Hopeful - Cayo North
"Of course there is always some level of unpredictability, but when you sit down with people in their homes and you have a coffee and dinner with them and you have a good rapport with them, I am not telling you that some people won't probably mislead you, but I am confident about 95% of the folks we've visited."
And while there were hundreds of Figueroa supporters around, he told us he likes to campaign with only one person accompanying him. It's pretty much the same for Richard Harrison - who we found on the Bullet Tree road:..
Richard Harrison, PUP Hopeful - Cayo North
"I feel great."
Jules Vasquez
"I told you earlier that you seem extremely calm. Usually these events have a type of nervous energy. Why is it that you are not showing that nervous energy?"
Richard Harrison, PUP Hopeful - Cayo North
"Well because the people make me feel pretty calm. I think that there is a quite tide that is rising here. The people are pretty much very frustrated and upset with the way how the United Democratic Party government has abandoned this Cayo North division because they voted for a PUP representative and that is within the people, the people are feeling that and the sentiment is very strong."
Jules Vasquez
"However from a practical perspective, one might say indeed, okay, they abandoned, it was a PUP representative, so why they would you vote for another PUP representative, it better you ride it out and at least maybe you ca get some help if your representative is in government."
Richard Harrison, PUP Hopeful - Cayo North
"Well, they have been there for 8 years, the people already know what to expect."
Reporter
"Here now in Bullet Tree, behind us there is a sizeable group of campaigners with red shirts for the United Democratic Party. I was at the campaign headquarters, they have a sizeable.. I saw about 100 people there. Clearly, they have a large team of people in both areas campaigning simultaneously. What is your street campaign like?"
Richard Harrison, PUP Hopeful - Cayo North
"We don't have a big a crowd as they do. We won't compete with them with t-shirts, we won't compete with them with flags on the lamp posts and that kind of stuff, we will compete with them on election day with voters."
Reporter
"The Prime Minister is in the constituency, the Deputy Prime Minister I understand was assigned to Bullet Tree because there are some land issue and so on. We see Boots Martinez is here. Where are your big guns? Where is the leader of the party? Where are the deputy leaders, where are they?"
Richard Harrison, PUP Hopeful - Cayo North
"Right here, these guys and the ones who are in the zones. These are the big people in Cayo North. These are the people who will vote. Dean Barrow can't vote here. Boots can't vote here and they can bring all their monies. They are the goliaths and we are many David's and we are going to deal with them on Monday."
And when we were leaving Cayo this evening, we saw the reinforcements rolling in for Harrison in the form of the entire southern caucus, the PUP's four representatives from the south - who car pooled and made it to Cayo all in one vehicle.
Later on we'll talk to the UDP Chairman about how so many people can be working on one divisional election.
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