Slow voting in St Ann North East by-election

The Electoral Office of Jamaica is reporting a low voter turnout in the St Ann North East by-election up to 11 o' clock this morning.

Director of Elections Glasspole Brown told The Gleaner a short while ago that up to that point only 5.12 per cent of voters in the constituency had voted.

The May 31 voters' list showed that there were 43,827 persons eligible to vote in the constituency.

It is expected that an increasing number of voters will show up later today to exercise their franchise.

Three candidates are contesting today's by-election.

The Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Matthew Samuda, Chase Albert Neil of the United Independents Congress, and independent David Fritz Anderson, a former member of the People's National Party (PNP) are seeking to become the next member of parliament for the constituency.

The PNP had announced that it would not contest the by-election but would focus its energy on national polls that are constitutionally due by September next year.

Samuda is expected to retain the seat for the governing party.

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