WITH some 30 minutes to the close of the polls the Electoral Office of Jamaica is reporting that some 42.35 percent of Jamaicans or 697,937 individuals have cast their votes as at 3 this afternoon in the 2011 General Parliamentary Elections.

In the meantime the EOJ has said the results from 161 stations are outstanding. There are a total 6629 polling stations.

In West Kingston 39.64 per cent of voters cast ballots, while in Central Kingston 8,583 (44 per cent) electors voted out of a total of 19,318.

In Western St Andrew where Prime Minister Andrew Holness is contesting the People’s National Party’s Patrick Roberts, 37.82 per cent of the electorate cast ballots. In the South Western St Andrew constituency where Opposition leader Portia Simpson Miller is expected to be a shoe in against the Jamaica Labour Party’s Victor Hyde,  10,664 (47.98 per cent) persons voted.

In the hotly-contested Central Manchester seat, where incumbent Peter Bunting is being challenged by the JLP’s Danville Walker 52 per cent of the electors (17,789) persons voted, while the highest voter turn out in any constituency so far was in West Portland where Daryl Vaz (JLP) is being challenged by Rohan Quest. The EOJ reports that 56.96 per cent of the electorate cast ballots.

A total 1,648,036 million electors are expected to go to the polls today. Voting began at 7:00 am and is expected to close at 5:00 pm today.