KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Over 40,000 police, soldiers, and election day workers are casting their ballots on Thursday ahead of following Monday’s Local Government Elections.
“Preparations have been made to accommodate voting for the 40,514 special services electors to go to the polls ahead of the February 26 Local Government Elections. This group comprises 10,544 members of the police force, 4,882 soldiers, and 25,088 election day workers,” said Director of Elections Glasspole Brown ahead of the polls that opened at 8:00 am (local time).
According to Brown, under the Representation of the People Act, provisions are made for these electors to vote three days before the rest of the population to ensure they are available for duty on election day.
Election day workers and military and police personnel who do not vote on Thursday will not be able to do so on February 26 as their names have been extracted from the voters’ list to accommodate them.
Police personnel vote at the divisional headquarters, where they are now assigned. At the same time, soldiers cast their ballots at the main Jamaica Defence Force bases, and on election day, workers vote at designated polling stations in each constituency.
Brown said ten polling locations with 38 polling stations have been allocated for military voting, while 21 polling locations with 78 polling stations have been earmarked for the police.
In addition, 239 polling locations with 249 polling stations have been assigned for election day workers.
The upcoming Local government elections for representatives across all parishes are being seen as a referendum on the administration of Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the governing Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), with predictions that whichever party wins this one will form the next government in general elections next year.
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