THE Government has allocated just under $2 billion to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) and the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) to stage the country’s next general election, which is constitutionally due this year.

In an almost $1.3-trillion Estimates of Expenditure tabled in Parliament for the 2025-2026 fiscal year the two electoral bodies have seen a spike of $1.6 billion for the holding of elections, up from the $395-million which was allocated in the revised estimates last year, when the country staged local government elections.

A further $1.2 billion is allocated to the bodies for the registration of voters, update of the official voters’ list and the purchase of voter identification cards.

According to the Government’s budget, the bulk of the money allocated to the electoral bodies for the next fiscal year ($1.2 billion) is for the procurement of “use of goods and services” for the holding of national elections. A further $513 million is assigned for travel expenses and subsistence.

The EOJ is also allocated $95 million for the rental of property and machinery, with the majority of that money expected to be spent to acquire polling stations.

This is the first allocation to the EOJ for general election since the 2020/2021 fiscal year when then Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke budgeted $2.4 billion for the holding of general and local government elections, which were both due.

While the country went to the polls for the general election — which the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won with 49 of the 63 seats — the local government elections were postponed and not held until 2024.

The 2024 elections saw the People’s National Party (PNP) outperforming the JLP despite the governing party emerging winners with control of seven of the 14 municipal bodies and one, the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, tied although the PNP gained control of that body by way of the popular vote.

However, the PNP secured 115 of the 228 parish council divisions, up from the 98 it grabbed in the 2016 Local Government Elections.

With that wind in its sail, and some public opinion polls showing it heading for victory in a general election, the Mark Golding-led Opposition has been pushing Prime Minister Andrew Holness to name a date for the general election.

But a poll, which went viral online on Sunday — with no indication of who was the pollster — showed the JLP leading the PNP by almost six percentage points, leaving party supporters upbeat that Holness is heading for a third term.

On Thursday, supporters of both parties turned out for the ceremonial opening on the 2025-2026 parliamentary year declaring that they are ready to go to the polls and they are confident of victory.

There has been no indication yet from Holness as to when he will call Jamaicans to vote, but political watchers seem agreed that the election will be held long before the September deadline.