The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) yesterday accepted blame for two uncounted ballot boxes containing votes of Election Day workers in St Mary South Eastern and apologised for the error as a magisterial recount to determine the final outcome of the vote in that constituency started in Port Maria, the St Mary capital.

According to the EOJ, the two boxes arrived at its Duke Street office in Kingston on August 28 – the day Election Day workers and members of the security forces voted – with 282 boxes sent out on that date. However, the two boxes had no keys to open them.

“While waiting for a tool to cut the locks we proceeded to count other boxes,” the EOJ said. “We did not complete counting the remaining boxes until after 2:00 am and inadvertently stored these uncounted boxes with the counted boxes.”

The Electoral Office pointed out that two representatives each of both the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) observed the receiving, opening, sorting and counting of all ballots from Election Day workers, police and military, adding, “Before we adjourned at 2:00 am, we were all of the view that all boxes were opened, sorted and counted”.

The EOJ assured the public that the error was genuine and was not done to favour any candidate.

The St Mary South Eastern seat was contested by Harry Douglas of the PNP and Tarn Peralto of the JLP, both of whom watched yesterday’s magisterial recount at the Port Maria courthouse.

However, they will not know the outcome until the recount ends tomorrow.

At the end of the exercise yesterday, 49 of the 103 boxes were counted.

The initial count had given Douglas victory, but the subsequent recount placed Peralto ahead of the veteran politician.

The outcome, however, will most likely be influenced by the contents of the two ballot boxes.

Initial reports were that the boxes were to be counted yesterday but this was not done as Senior Resident Magistrate for St Mary, Sarah James, who presided over the magisterial recount, reportedly said she had no jurisdiction over those ballots.

Douglas told reporters that he had noticed the shortfall in the count and had been trying to get clarification from director of elections Danville Walker for nearly two weeks but without success.

He alleged that the admittance by the electoral office that there were two boxes short came only after he threatened to take the matter to the Supreme Court.

“To date, neither the returning officer in Annotto Bay nor the Electoral Office of Jamaica has contacted me,” Douglas said.

Meanwhile, a confident Peralto told the Observer after yesterday’s proceedings that he would still be the member of parliament for South East St Mary once the magisterial recount ends.

He brushed aside speculation that the votes in the two boxes could propel Douglas to victory.

Peralto said he was advised by his attorney that the boxes could not be introduced unless that position is taken by higher authority, meaning the EOJ.