‘We’re ready!’ EOJ says all in place for tomorrow’s election
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) says it is ready to conduct the general election tomorrow, Thursday, September 3.
The EOJ said voting will take place in 6,984 polling stations across the island.
Polls will open at 7:00 am and will close at 5:00 pm, after which the preliminary counting of ballots will take place inside the polling station.
The EOJ noted that electors who are in line at 5:00 pm will be allowed to vote.
“The team at the EOJ has been working diligently to ensure that all is in place for election day,” a statement from the EOJ said this afternoon. “The constituencies met, workers have been briefed and supplies have been distributed. Several workers who withdrew from duty for various reasons have been replaced by trained reserves.”
The statement also noted that the Electronic Voter Identification System (EVIS) will be used in seven constituencies – St Catherine Eastern, St Andrew West Central, St Andrew South Eastern, St Andrew Eastern, Kingston Central, Kingston East & Port Royal, and St Andrew Western.
The EOJ said there are 139 candidates vying for seats in the 63 constituencies across the island.
“There are 63 candidates representing the Jamaica Labour Party, 63 representing the People’s National Party, and 13 independent candidates. The pool of candidates is comprised of 108 males and 31 females,” the EOJ reported.
Tomorrow’s election will be observed by the local observer group Citizens Action for Free & Fair Elections and a small delegation from the European Union.
The election will be monitored by the election centre, which is a hub for receiving and validating reports on incidents on the ground and providing resolutions, as well as issuing reports to the media where necessary.
The Constituted Authority, which comes into effect whenever an election notice is issued and has the ability to halt or void elections where deemed necessary, will oversee the election.
The EOJ advised that electors who are still unclear where to vote may check the Electoral Commission of Jamaica’s website at www.ecj.com.jm and click on ‘Check my status’ on the homepage to find out at which polling station they are to cast their ballot.
The EOJ also reminded persons who will exercise their right to vote to wear masks and take their voter ID card to the polling station.
Electors who do not have their voter ID cards may still be allowed to vote, the EOJ said.
