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PNP labours as JLP leads two to one

Published:Thursday | August 20, 2020 | 12:06 AM
A Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporter performs stunts during a tour of Woodford Park by Kari Douglas, the party's candidate in St Andrew South Eastern, on Wednesday, August 19. Thirty-six per cent of respondents in an RJRGLEANER-Don Anderson poll would vo
Rudolph Brown/Photographer
A Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporter performs stunts during a tour of Woodford Park by Kari Douglas, the party's candidate in St Andrew South Eastern, on Wednesday, August 19. Thirty-six per cent of respondents in an RJRGLEANER-Don Anderson poll would vote for the JLP compared to 20 per cent for the People's National Party.

Almost twice as many registered voters intend to cast their ballots for the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as their main rivals, the People’s National Party (PNP).

An RJRGLEANER-commissioned Don Anderson poll released on Wednesday indicated that 36 per cent of electors would mark their ballot for the JLP, which is led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness. Twenty per cent of respondents expressed a preference for the Dr Peter Phillips-led PNP.

For the PNP to win, it would then need to woo almost two-thirds of the 23 per cent of respondents who said they were not sure which party they would vote for on September 3.

Twenty per cent of interviewees said they would not vote, while one per cent gave the thumbs up to the Jamaica Progressive Party. The religious party has since pulled out of the election.

The poll was conducted between July 24 and August 3 and canvassed 1,071 respondents. The margin of error is plus or minus three per cent.

More than 55 per cent of people who intend to vote for the JLP say that that decision is based on its ability to manage the country better. Less than 34 per cent of PNP supporters would vote for the party on those grounds.

The PNP is also trailing in several other categories.

Thirty-five per cent of JLP backers believe that the party has the better leaders while less than 12 per cent of Comrades have that view of the PNP.

Almost 41 per cent of persons who intend to vote for the JLP would do so because it would do a good job while 23.6 per cent have that view.

Nearly 49 per cent of interviewees said they would vote for the PNP out of tradition while 24 per cent of respondents said they would always vote for the JLP.