Director of Elections, Danville Walker

The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) is assuring that persons voting on election day will do so safely, as the agency has recruited some 8,500 persons who will be working as 'one day police officers'.

Speaking at a JIS 'Think Tank' on June 20, Director of Elections, Danville Walker informed that the EOJ has been working with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to reform the process of recruiting these persons.

"We have recruited over 8,500 of them [one day police officers] but we are not sure how many will be deployed by the JCF," he explained. He further noted that the EOJ has only recruited individuals who are under 60 years old and "those that are sober."

According to Mr. Walker, persons who did not qualify as presiding officers or polling clerks have been asked to serve as polling station security assistants. "All we want at these polling stations is someone to monitor the lines," he informed, adding that he wanted persons who would be respectful and courteous to others.

Polling station security assistants will be required to maintain order in all polling stations and usher individuals in to vote, and out when the process is completed. Additionally, Mr. Walker said that if there were security breaches at any polling station, the 'one day police officer' should seek assistance from the JCF.

Aside from equipping all polling stations with security officers, the EOJ is confident that the organization will be able to successfully roll out its electronic voter identification system in select constituencies in Montego Bay, Kingston and St. Andrew and St. Catherine. Currently, the organization is conducting simulation exercises to test the effectiveness of the system.

The EOJ was established in 1943 to administer Parliamentary and Local Government elections in Jamaica.