Several ‘election workers’ turned away
SEVERAL election day workers yesterday turned up at their assigned polling stations to cast their ballots only to find out their names were not on yesterday’s voters’ list.
Director of Elections, Danville Walker, explained that the names were bumped off after attempts to contact them when the list was being prepared failed. He said there were at least 30 persons in each constituency who fell into that category but gave an assurance that they would be allowed to vote next Monday.
“When we were making up the list we could not get in touch with them a week before the cut-off and so even if they were already trained we went with someone else,” Walker told the Observer, adding that persons should have checked if their names were on the list before yesterday.
At the EOJ’s office in the St Catherine South Eastern Division, an employee was kept busy responding to queries. The seemingly frustrated worker was overheard complaining to someone on the telephone.
“Me can’t believe say is these people going to work on election day and them behaving as if they have no sense,” she said.
At the Portmore Gospel Assembly, a woman and her daughter were getting ready to return home without voting because their names could not be found on the list and was redirected to Waterford High. Meanwhile, an irate voter at the threatened not to vote because the process was taking too long.
“A little bit of people deh here today and it is taking so long then what will they do next week when they have to deal with 300 persons,” she questioned.
An outdoor agent attired in his green party shirt begged her to vote if it was for the Jamaica Labour Party.
Returning Officer June Kelly told the Observer that any delay at the polling station was caused by individuals who turn up to vote without an identification card.