Karen Kim Butler Alleges Bullying & Barriers At Polling Stations

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Voting got underway at the Adelaide Primary School this morning, where residents lined up early to cast their ballots in the Golden Isles by-election. The four-way race includes candidates from the PLP, FNM, COI, and the lone independent, Karen Kim Butler, who says her Election Day began with unexpected challenges.

Although the scene was mostly peaceful, Butler says the calm briefly shifted before the official 8 a.m. opening, when the gates were opened early for poll agents. She claims she became caught in the middle of a chaotic rush.

Dressed in her signature pink, Butler says she was pushed between supporters and police officers trying to enter the yard.

“I was caught in the middle… I was frustrated, and I felt like I was being assaulted,” she said.
“There must be a better way that we can do this… at one point the pushing became so violent I thought I was going to hit the ground.”

Butler also claims she was denied access to parking inside the school’s gate, unlike others she observed entering with no issue. She says she was instructed to park several minutes away and walk in alone.

“I was told I could not park where I was parked… I did a Facebook Live walking in. As a candidate, and a woman walking by herself, I was wondering where the security was.”

After leaving the Adelaide Primary School, Butler continued to Anatol Rodgers High School, which housed several polling divisions and where she later cast her vote. She alleges additional issues there, including the removal of her campaign placards and being blocked initially from observing activity inside Polling Division 8.

Still, Butler says she is undeterred and believes the issues she encountered underscore the need for improvements before the 2026 General Election.

“Whatever the people of Golden Isles decide today, I will take my direction from them,” she said.
“I put myself in the race because I have a vision for where this constituency should go, and as a resident, I’m not going anywhere.”