THE Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) says plans are well advanced to introduce the new elector registration identification cards in 2008.

According to the director of elections, Danville Walker, the new cards “will look a lot ‘prettier’, have more security features and will contain the individual’s address and date of birth, a feature that the existing card does not have”.

Walker said the EOJ had done fairly well with the cards over the past 10 years and has had to testify a number of times that persons have attempted to duplicate the cards.

“It is very easy for the EOJ to identify duplicates,” he said, adding that it will be easier for banks to detect fake cards.

Walker said persons on the voting register will be required to collect their cards at their respective electoral office, as the EOJ would no longer distribute them to their homes.

“Once the voters’ list is published then the cards are sent to the office,” Walker said.

“The EOJ will then write a letter to the persons who are just coming on the voters’ list, informing them that the cards are ready to be picked up,” he added.

Walker said the existing elector registration identification cards, which are about 10 years old, could be used until their expiry date on December 31, 2007.

Commenting on the voters’ list, which is published in March and November each year, the EOJ boss said his office had done an excellent job in creating the list, which he maintained is without contest.

“When the voters’ list is published twice a year, it is not a surprise to anyone. They [the stakeholders] are given a preliminary list before for revision and are asked to submit any additions or deletions. When this is done, we meet with them to resolve the differences before the final list is published,” Walker said.

The voter registration process, he added, was continuous. However, persons who were not already on the March 2007 list would not be able to vote if the general election is called before November, when the next list would be published.