Kingston, Jamaica — A mock election staged on TikTok in Jamaica drew such heavy participation that its voting website crashed shortly after polls opened, organizers said.
The parody contest, which has gripped young Jamaicans online, pits two satirical parties against each other: the Jamaica National Party, led by content creator Ganja Clauze, and For Jamaican People, fronted by Bad Sekki. Supporters flooded the site to cast ballots for mock members of parliament and a president, but traffic quickly overwhelmed the system.
Though unofficial, the “TikTok Elections” have taken on the feel of a real campaign, with slogans, debates, and rallies spreading rapidly across social media. The irony is that there wa a low voter turnout out for a Jamaica’s recent General Elections with over 60% of the people on the voters list that did not vote.
Still Jamaica’s Prime Minister has taken notice of the mock elections. After being sworn in as Prime Minister, Andrew Holness met with the two content creators and later posted: “Our young people have fully embraced social media and it’s interesting to see how they express themselves creatively. Yesterday I shared a light moment with Bad Sekki and Ganja Clauze… I see you and I encourage you to continue to express your creativity with our unique Jamaican flair.”
Ganja Clauze, wo represented for Uptown Jamaica (the more affluent part of Kingston) has since conceded his defeat in the mock elections to Bad Sekki, who got his name fro being a security guard for Just security company. The latter winning by a landslide according to early reports.
