WESTMORELAND, Jamaica— Both the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP) candidates in the Westmoreland Eastern constituency have picked up additional votes from rejected ballots cast in the September 3 general election.

The additional votes were gained during the magisterial recount which began in the Westmoreland Parish Court in Savanna-la-Mar this morning.

During the morning session of the recount which is currently being presided over by parish judge Steve Walters, nine out of 117 boxes were counted before the lunch break.

The JLP’s Daniel Lawrence has picked up two additional votes while the incumbent People’s National Party (PNP) candidate Luther Buchanan has picked up one.

The JLP candidate currently has 43 votes and the PNP 22, from the boxes counted.

Lawyers representing the JLP had filled for a recount on Tuesday, September 8.

Lawrence had sought the recount after an official count by the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) had declared Buchanan the winner by one vote following the intervention of the returning officer.

Both candidates had polled 4,834 votes, while the independent candidate Haile Mika’el received 34 votes. One hundred and seven ballots were rejected.

The returning officer for Westmoreland Eastern later cast a deciding vote in favour of Buchanan.

The officer had blindly pulled one of two ballots which were placed in a box with the names of both candidates written respectively on them. A ballot with the name of Buchanan was selected from the box.

The recount resumed shortly after 2:00pm.

Anthony Lewis