Parliament’s Human Resource and Social Development Committee will call in the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) at its next sitting as lawmakers begin probing proposals to overhaul decades-old voting rules, including whether any clear mark — not just an “X” — should be accepted on a ballot and how far current procedures may be disenfranchising electors.

Committee Chairman Duane Smith said the panel was not yet ready to take a position, but signalled that the issues raised in Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Western Everald Warmington’s private member’s motion go to the heart of how elections are won and lost, especially in tight races where rejected ballots can swing a result.

The EOJ appearance is now set for April 2 at 10:00 am, with the committee indicating it will give the election agency a deadline of March 31 to submit its papers ahead of the sitting.

Warmington’s motion, which has been referred to the committee for discussion and exploration, centres on proposals to amend sections of the Representation of the People Act to reduce rejected ballots, clarify ballot-handling rules, reconsider the hours of polling, address longstanding concerns around outdoor agents and proper verification of the voters’ list.

Among the recommendations flagged at the sitting were a change to allow polls to close at 6:00 pm instead of 5:00 pm, and a more flexible approach to ballot marking — including allowing instruments beyond the traditional pencil. Smith told colleagues the proposals were not abstract, and warned that they carry “far-reaching implications” for elected officials and voters alike.

“In the last general election I had over 600 rejected ballots. That is unprecedented. I hear other members in the Parliament who I’ve spoken to who have also had some unprecedented amounts of spoiled ballots… So what I’m saying is that the things that Member Warmington is advocating for are some things that have direct implications on all elected officials,” he said.

“I’ve seen a perfectly good ballot, and because it wasn’t torn properly — so somebody went to the polling station and marked their X beside the preferred candidate but because it was open and not torn against the perforated line — they rejected the ballot. So that person’s ballot was rejected because he wasn’t doing it properly,” Smith further highlighted.

However, not every member agreed with all the changes proposed in Warmington’s motion.

St Thomas Eastern MP Yvonne Rose-Marie Shaw supported the idea that voter intent should guide acceptance, but cautioned against abandoning the standard pencil used in polling booths. She also opposed pushing back the close of polls, raising concerns about voter safety in remote communities.

While the committee did not reach any conclusions, it became clear that members want the EOJ to address not only the proposed rule changes, but also complaints that election-day procedures may be slowing the process and contributing to long lines.

St Ann North Western MP Krystal Lee said constituents raised concerns about delays, and suggested the committee’s sitting with the EOJ should examine the new steps the agency has introduced.

“I’m looking forward to that meeting with EOJ, because they have seemingly implemented some new steps and it significantly slowed down the voting process. Whereas it would probably take, on an average, probably two minutes or so, or five minutes for one person to vote, it increased, I would say, by double the amount of time. Looking at all my polling stations on election day, I would have realised huge turnouts of persons in lines just looking there, waiting, complaining of how long the process was. That, for me, is one of the points that I’m really looking to discuss with the EOJ, because that would tie in direct relation to perhaps giving more consideration for an extension,” she suggested.

Smith, who represents St Andrew North Western, responded that the discussion revived memories of election-day stress, describing scenes where voters waited for hours — particularly in areas where two elections were held on the same day.

Beyond operations at the polls, Rhoda Moy Crawford, MP for Manchester Central, also raised the issue of workplace voting access, arguing that the law requiring employers to allow time off to vote is not always respected.

“I wouldn’t have any difficulty with us extending the voting hours based on my own observation moving around my constituency on election day. We have more than 100 polling stations in Manchester Central, and while the law clearly states that employers are to allow their employees time off to vote, I have received multiple complaints from supporters that they are told they can’t leave for whatever reason,” she said.

The committee also heard advice from Senior Legislative Counsel Tiffany Stewart, who warned that even targeted amendments can ripple across the legislation, requiring broader policy and drafting support. Stewart pointed out that Warmington’s recommendations touch multiple sections, including provisions on taking the poll, how the ballot is marked, outdoor agents, and post-poll procedures.

“These amendments may seem on the face of it, ‘oh, we just amended a single provision’, but it will touch on other provisions within the legislation,” Stewart said, noting that the Representation of the People Act was amended in 2016, 2020, 2024, 2020, and 2016. Any new changes, she argued, must be weighed against earlier reforms.

Stewart recommended that the committee also hear from the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Legal Reform Department and the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to guide policy and drafting after the EOJ’s appearance.

For Smith, the committee’s approach will be phased: EOJ first, then the legal and policy entities later.

The chairman also indicated he wants comparative research on how other countries treat similar issues — particularly around voting hours and ballot standards, and suggested the committee will also seek public submissions, reflecting the political sensitivity of reforms that affect how every vote is counted.