ST MARY, Jamaica — Polling stations opened at 7:00 am this morning  and voters have started casting their  ballots in the much anticipated by-election in  South East St Mary between People’s National Party’s (PNP) Shane Alexis and the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Norman Dunn.

OBSERVER ONLINE traversed the rocky terrain of Gibbs Hill to visit the first polling station at the Providence United Church in the Castleton Division a short while ago, where, according to the police “things have been running smoothly.”

The polling supervisor at the location also informed that voter turnout has been “steady so far.”

The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) has indicated its readiness in over 100 electoral divisions, where 25,521 people are eligible to vote across the four political divisions of Castleton, Richmond, Annotto Bay, and Belfield in the constituency.

Political analysts have speculated that the by-election results will be a close one. Similar to the five-vote margin between the late MP for the constituency, PNPs Dr Winston Green and  Dunn in  2016.

Deandra Morrison