Director of Elections Orrette Fisher - file photo
The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) has issued a statement indicating that the time frame given to complete preparations for the Local Government election is far less than ideal and it will have a tough time finalising arrangements.
However, it says it is in a reasonable state of readiness.
With less than a month left, the EOJ has fast-tracked operations to meet statutory requirements and deadlines in order to ensure that its machinery is ready for the polls.
The Electoral Office says by Monday, it expects to receive $220 million of the $1.3 billion budgeted for the holding of the election.
In the statement Thursday night, EOJ said it is hard-pressed to complete a number of immediate deliverables that would ideally require a lot more time.
These include the printing of Nomination Day lists for distribution to candidates on Election Day; completion of recruitment and training of more than 30,000 Election Day workers, which is fairly advanced; and training to operate the Electronic Voter Identification System.
Another task is the printing of the separated Voters’ Lists to facilitate special services voting.
The list must be given to candidates eight days after Nomination Day.
The EOJ says it will also have to print ballots after Nomination Day for the 228 Electoral Divisions as well as procure, package and distribute election material to be completed in time for the polls.
It says this belies the magnitude of the tasks to be completed in less than a month.
With Nomination Day being November 11 and Election Day on November 28, the EOJ says it has been given the minimum time period to finalise preparations.
Director of Elections Orrette Fisher says the EOJ’s resources will be stretched, but it remains committed to ensuring that a credible election is delivered.
Electronic Voter Identification System
Meanwhile, the EOJ says the Electronic Voter Identification System will be used in seven constituencies during the Local Government election.
They are St. Catherine Eastern; St. Andrew West Central; St. Andrew South Eastern; St. Andrew Eastern, Kingston Central; Kingston East and Port Royal as well as St. Andrew Western.
Special services voting for the police, military and Election Day workers will be held on Friday November 25 - three days before the rest of the population goes to the polls.
Voter list delayed
In the meantime, the publication of the new Voters' List will be delayed due to the election being called.
The EOJ says the November 28 election date impedes the publication of the November 30 Voters' List.
It will now be published on December 31.
As a result, the EOJ says Voter Identification Cards will be available by the end of January.
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