KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (EOJ) is advising that polling stations and staff are equipped and ready to go for members of the police and military forces as well as election day workers to cast their votes on Thursday, February 22.

According to the EOJ the polling hours are from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

“Preparations have been made to accommodate voting for the 40,514 special services electors to go to the polls ahead of the February 26 Local Government Election. This group comprises 10,544 police officers, 4,882 soldiers; and 25,088 election day workers,” the EOJ said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Under the Representation of the People Act, provisions are made for military and police personnel, as well as election day workers, to vote ahead of the rest of the population, to ensure that they are available for duty on election day,” the EOJ added.

The commission went on to say that the names of these special service voters have been extracted from the official Voters’ List and dispersed to a total of 270 designated locations, which together account for 365 polling stations, set up to facilitate voting on the day. The locations and polling stations allocated are 10 polling locations (38 polling stations) for military voting, 21 polling locations (78 polling stations) for the police; and 239 polling locations (249 polling stations) for EDWs.

The list of polling locations includes police stations, military bases, schools, churches and community centres. Police and military personnel will vote at the voting location closest to where they are assigned to work, the EOJ said.

Meanwhile, Director of Elections, Glasspole Brown is imploring employers to grant their employees permission to serve as Election Day Workers.

“We are appealing to employers to give Election Day Workers the necessary time off on Election Day to carry out their civic duty. We are also expressing appreciation to those employers who have readily committed to allowing their employees to work on Election Day,” he said.

Election day workers who have not been notified of their voting day and voting location by phone call or text message are advised to contact the EOJ.