Slow start to polls

Scores of diehards from both major political parties were in high spirits yesterday as they converged on the headquarters of the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) in downtown Kingston to monitor the arrival of ballot boxes containing the votes of members of the security forces and election day workers.

Supporters of the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) engaged in political banter on Duke Street as the ballot boxes trickled in.

When the ballot boxes for the Papine division arrived, PNP supporters could be heard saying “time come” for incumbent Venesha Phillips to be unseated. Phillips has switched allegiance and is now running on a JLP ticket. However, Phillips’ supporters were brimming with confidence.

“We are feeling good and we put out the work and expect the momentum to continue,” said Edward Ferrier, a JLP supporter.

Director of Elections Glasspole Brown told The Gleaner that up to mid-afternoon, voter turnout was about 20 per cent.

He said there were some “hiccups” on Thursday in the voting process, noting that efforts would be made to prevent glitches from recurring on Monday when the majority of the electorate gets their opportunity to vote.

The hiccups that Brown spoke about apparently involve issues surrounding the non-arrival of ballots from the Bridgeport Division in St Catherine at two polling stations.

Kenard Grant, PNP councillor candidate who is vying to become the councillor for the Bridgeport division, said some voters told him that they could not exercise their franchise at polling stations at the Police Academy, Twickenham Park in St Catherine and Harman Barracks in Kingston.

According to Grant, the electors were told to await the arrival of the ballots, but up to the time the polls closed, they had not arrived.

He told The Gleaner that voters were disgruntled that they did not get the chance to vote on Thursday.

“I am of the impression that it is a deliberate attempt to suppress the votes that I am expected to get,” Grant said.

The Gleaner understands that EOJ officials held an emergency meeting last evening to investigate the complaints by Grant with a view to finding a resolution.

The EOJ said it would issue a media statement on the reported problems that faced some voters but the release had not been made available up to late yesterday evening.

At other polling stations across the country, where special-service personnel cast ballots, voting went smoothly.

Only a few voters were observed at several polling stations visited by The Gleaner in the early afternoon.

“We don’t have more than two people in the line at any time,” a returning officer at a polling station in Rockfort, East Kingston, told The Gleaner.

A returning officer at the Rockfort Police Station expressed concern at how slow the votes were coming in.

“It’s much slower this time around. Normally, the first three or so hours, we get an influx, but it was very slow today,” he said.

Another returning officer at the Elletson Road Police Station said low voter turnout was often the case for local government elections.

“It’s a very slow process; it will pick up eventually. Sometimes people don’t really pay much attention to local government,” he said.

A similar sentiment was shared by an official when The Gleaner visited the Harman Barracks training wing of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

Declaring that he has voted in the last three elections, a police officer in line to vote at the Rockfort Police Station encouraged his colleagues to come out and vote, acknowledging that he had noted that they had become apathetic towards the election process.

“Police officers have lost confidence in the whole electorate system, so maybe that’s the reason,” he said. “But this is a way to express your preference as it relates to the political parties that are here in Jamaica.”

Meanwhile, another police officer who had already cast his ballot stated that he felt obligated to vote.

“I am 52 years old, and I have been voting since I was 18 years old. It’s the one right you get in your country, and I just believe I must determine who runs my country,” he said.

editorial@gleanerjm.com