The Representation of the People Act (ROPA) stipulates that nomination day must be at least five clear days after the official date for election is announced.

Nominations for each constituency must be held in a public building chosen by an Electoral Office of Jamaica returning officer.

Nominations must take place between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, though the returning officer can adjourn proceedings and continue the next day if it is interrupted by serious violence.

Here are the conditions that a potential candidate needs to satisfy in order to be legally nominated:

1. Be a citizen of Jamaica or the Commonwealth. In the case of the latter, the person choosing to be nominated must be domiciled in Jamaica for a minimum of one year.

2. Be at least 21 years old.

3. Get at least 10 persons registered within the constituency to sign a nomination paper endorsing the potential candidate. Even if any of the 10 persons is struck off the voters’ list after nomination day it will not affect the nomination.

4. Be an elector or be qualified to be an elector.

5. Be qualified, by virtue of sections 39 and 40 of the Constitution, to sit as a member of the House of Representatives. This includes not being adjudged bankrupt; not having any allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or State; not being certified as insane; not being convicted of any offence connected with the election of members of the House of Representatives.

6. Pay $3,000 with the nomination paper. A bill has been tabled to increase the amount to $15,000, however, according to the parliamentary website, it has not been enacted as yet.

The returning officer must make sure that the potential candidate has shown that he/she fulfils steps 1-3, because once the deposit is accepted, and a receipt has been issued, the candidate has been duly nominated.

Here is what ROPA says in the event of the unfortunate death of a nominee:

1. The returning officer must discuss the matter with the chief electoral officer.

2. The returning officer must then adjourn elections for that constituency and allow for new nominations. The same rules for nominations apply. As with regular nominations, if only one person is nominated that person shall become the member of parliament for the constituency.

3. The returning officer must set a date for new elections in the constituency. That date has to be within a month of the original election date.

Other voluntary withdrawals, however, must take place at least one week before election day and must be written and signed by the candidate as well as two people registered to vote in the constituency. If there is only one candidate remaining after withdrawals, that candidate becomes the duly elected member of parliament.