Haiti: The Entertainer, or The Professor? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Ballot paper. Image by @2012writer: "My vote easy. Don Bosco school in PV was smooth at 11am and had opened at 6am. No lines."
According to the reports on Twitter about today's presidential election runoff in Haiti, the lines at polling stations are long, and voters at the Lycée Petion and the Lycée Croix des Bouquets were unable to find their names on voter lists, a problem that had also plagued the original election last November. But many are also speculating on the outcome. Opinion polls conducted in the weeks before have tended to show entertainer Michel Martelly leading his rival Mirlande Manigat, an academic and former first lady.
@sdarguin1906: "Who shall it be?"
“Voters coming into cast ballots Cite Soleil Lycee greeted by #tetkale screams,” tweeted Miami Herald journalist Jacqueline Charles (“tetkale” is one of Martelly's nicknames, referring to the candidate's bald head), and images posted on Twitter showed the candidate being received enthusiastically by voters:
@MRSandell: "Outside polling station as Martèlly comes to vote"
@Telenoticiasrd: "Martelly saliendo de votar. Multitud en las afueras." [Martelly exits after voting. Crowd outside.
@MRSandell: "'Sweet Micky' supporters stand to catch a glimpse of their man"
@mhsaintluc, however, was unequivocal in his support for Manigat, posting the following:
The candidate herself is pictured here, arriving at her polling station.
@mhsaintluc: "J'ai pu finalement voter la personne la plus apte apporter le changement qu'attend Haiti!" [I've finally been able to vote for the person most qualified to carry out the changes Haiti's been waiting for."
@jacquiecharles: "#Manigat arriving to vote."
One question likely to be on the minds of many is which candidate has the support of controversial former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who returned to the country on Friday, six years after being ousted in a coup d'état and forced into exile. This photo by @cliffchevalier suggests it may well be Manigat.
@cliffchevalier: "Flyers being circulated in Haiti showing Aristide calling for a Manigat vote. "Kay" means Manigat?" The text on the flyer says: "Aristide asks all Haitians to transform the heart of Haitian Chamber (of Deputies) into a "Kay" Chamber." The slogan of Manigat's party is "Ti Kay La, Kay Pep La".
Which might make sense, in light of this banner reportedly posted in Cité Soleil, the massive slum many of whose residents remain loyal to Aristide. The text on the banner says: “Mama is already here. Welcome, Papa!”
@etiennecp: "#Manigat trying to please #Aristide supporters in Cité Soleil w/ welcome banners."