Police, soldiers and Election Day workers vote today; EOJ addresses concerns

The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) has sought to ease concerns raised by the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) about voting arrangements for members of the security forces and election day workers, who go to the polls today ahead of the September 3 General Election.

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In a statement Thursday morning, the PNP flagged what it described as “troubling anomalies,” particularly affecting police officers attached to non-geographic divisions such as the Chaplaincy, the Transnational Crime and Narcotics Division (TCND), and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB). According to the party, a number of these officers had their polling stations shifted to Kingston, despite previously voting in rural constituencies throughout their careers.

“This arrangement means that officers who have consistently voted in places like South St James, South Manchester, and other constituencies must now travel to Kingston in order to exercise their constitutional right. Many are unaware of this change, and failure to travel could result in their disenfranchisement,” the party said, while calling for clarity from the EOJ and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

The PNP insisted that those who “risk their lives daily to serve and protect should not face unnecessary obstacles to cast their vote,” stressing that the integrity of Jamaica’s electoral system must be safeguarded at all times.

In its response, the EOJ explained that police and military electors are assigned to voting locations based on information received from the JCF High Command and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). That data, it said, was used to determine where members of the security forces would vote today.

“Prior to the announcement of the election, police and military officers were advised through the media and other channels to check the voters’ list to ensure that they are assigned to the correct location,” the EOJ added.

Just over 45,400 electors are eligible to vote today, including 12,793 police officers, 5,126 members of the military, and 27,536 election day workers. Voting will take place across 215 locations islandwide, among them schools, churches, police stations, community centres, and military bases.

Of that number, ten polling locations with 38 polling stations have been designated for members of the military, 21 locations with 92 polling stations for the police, and 184 locations with 197 polling stations for election day workers.

Traditionally, turnout among members of the security forces has been low compared to election day workers. In 2016, 53 per cent of police personnel on the list voted, while only 36 per cent of soldiers did. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, those figures fell to 42 per cent for the police and 23 per cent for soldiers. Election day workers, by contrast, generally record participation rates of more than 60 per cent.