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Courtney Weatherburne reporting

Swarms of party supporters converged near the "Drums of Our Fathers" monument in Lakeland Dangriga.

Standing in front of the tents and fluttering flags were the guards of the camp - carefully monitoring the opposing team.

On the streets, pockets of supporters roved - greeting fellow campaigners and latching unto voters.

Everyone seemed quite composed and calm - with opposing sides standing face to face.

But that energy shifted after 10:00 when a fight erupt in front of the Holy Ghost R.C School

Anthony Fuentes, PUP politician
"What I noticed is that they were taking off the stickers and apparently the UDPs came across and try to hit a member of the People's United Party."

Reporter "Who were taking off stickers?"

Anthony Fuentes, PUP politician
"The police ordered that they take off the stickers before going across in their vehicle."

Mediator
"They went and tried to take off the stickers off the UDP vehicle. That is wrong because they know that the vehicle belongs to the UDP. If the police wants to take off the sticker, we will do it ourselves."

So: a car sticker fueled that fight and a couple minutes later during an interview with the Minister of Works Rene Montero, another scuffle was ignited right behind us - this time apparently over an umbrella.

Frank "Papa" Mena, UDP Candidate
"Sometimes things just get out of hand. You see sometimes you get pushed to the edge, but we got that under control."

Under control maybe only for that Lakeland area. But certainly not for other areas. At the Sacred Heart School polling area, it was a battle of words.

And it was amplified when Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington emerged from behind the 100 yard line.

Courtney Weatherburne
"How do you guys really navigate through the tensions? You can hear emotions running high. It's getting heated - it's election day. How do you guys navigate through that?"

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"You will see I am going to greet all of them and they all will be laughing soon."

But laughter was the last thing he was greeted with. The hostility thickened after a couple of minutes when other PUP supporters entered the scene... This visceral intensity has never been seen before - concentrated in one division. According to the PUP, it's just the natural 'hype vibes" of the people.

Hon. Francis Fonseca, PUP, Party Leader
"It's a hot day and people are in fighting spirits, so we have to expect a little of that to flare up from time to time. Very much it's the spirit of the people of Dangriga. They are hype people. This is the culture capitol - they are lively people, they are energetic, they are passionate people. Not to say that our brothers and sister in Cayo are not fun, loving and passionate as well. But there is a special love and passion here in Dangriga that we all are attracted to. I think that has spilled over into the campaign."

Anthony Sabal, PUP Candidate
"At the end of the day, our people have to be aware that there is respect for each other. I pass my UDP opponents and I say good morning and in most cases they respond good morning - because you know me, I have been here all my life teaching, teaching some of them, teaching many of them and so there is that level of respect for the most part."

The UDP, however, has a completely different perspective.

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"A lot is on stake for the PUP. That's the problem. They realize that strike one was in Cayo, the municipal elections was strike 2 as the Prime Minister has said and this one is strike 3. Any ball game, strike 3 and you are out. So they believe that if they bring people from all over the country to come and intimidate people out here - that that would bring victory for them."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"There is no need for that and you are absolutely right, this is what is happening. I suspect that the PUP came out ready to rumble. It is not just the numbers. Attitudinally. They obvious are determined to show muscle and I believe it's all downhill from there."

While the reason for those fray's is being disputed, there is one that does not need much explanation rather - clarity. That's the confrontation between the supporters of Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega and friends of Ramon "Munchie" Cervantez. This happened near the Hope Creek Community Center around the same time the first brawl broke out at the Holy Ghost School.

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"The version I got is from my side. They said that Gaspar was leading some voter and reached out to the lady's daughter and Munchie Cervantes elbowed him aside and thereafter Gaspi's people surged forward and Munchie's bodyguard in fact got into it with them."

But at the end of the day -beyond the backdrop of hostility and aggression - everything comes down to this moment. Those anxious steps towards the open door of the polling station, the hesitation, the fumbling before entering and the finality of the decision, the vote - are all that matter.

It certainly did for UDP candidate Frank "Papa" Mena. He savored his victory in the embrace of his supporters.

Walking out onto the streets - fists raised towards the sky - men and women clamored to celebrate his triumph - theirs.

As it relates to the fights in Dangriga - no official police report was made for any of them.