Voting underway in Jamaica's parliamentary election

By: Admin

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Polling stations are now opening island-wide as Jamaicans begin voting to elect a new government.

This year's election is being held under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to predictions of a low voter turnout.

There are 139 candidates vying for a seat in the 63 constituencies.

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People's National Party (PNP) have both fielded candidates for every seat, while 13 independent candidates are also seeking election.

In the 2016 general election, the JLP picked up 11 seats, bringing its tally to 32, for a narrow one-seat victory over the PNP. It later added two more seats through by-elections, with the tally now standing at 34 for the JLP and 29 for the PNP.

Opinion polls have suggested the JLP is set to get a second term at the end of  counting this evening.

There are 1,913, 410 electors registered to vote in today's election.

COVID-19

The Electoral Office of Jamaica is reminding electors to wear a mask, in keeping with the now standard COVID-19 safety precaution.

Persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 will be allowed to vote from 4 o'clock in the afternoon until polls close at 5 o'clock.

Electronic voting

The EOJ has confirmed that the Electronic Voter Identification System will be used in seven constituencies.

These are St. Catherine Eastern, St. Andrew West Central, St. Andrew South Eastern, St. Andrew Eastern, Kingston Central, Kingston East & Port Royal, and St. Andrew Western.

The election will be observed by the local observer group Citizens Action for Free & Fair Elections (CAFFE) and a delegation from the European Union.