The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) is appealing to members of the Police Force and the Military, and Election Day workers to submit all relevant information to the office in order to facilitate a smooth voting process on August 21 when they go to the polls.

Speaking with JIS News, Public Education Officer at the EOJ, Tekese Gilpin-Allen, emphasised that it was vital that these persons get their information updated, so that they could be registered for voting.

She pointed out that the EOJ would extract three separate lists from the general voters’ list for police personnel, election day workers and the military in order for these persons to be able to vote before election day.

Mrs. Gilpin-Allen explained that the reason why these persons vote before the announced date of the general election, is to ensure that they are available to serve in their various capacities on election day.

“The police officers’ voting process is similar to the general election but with a few differences,” she noted, adding that police personnel did not necessarily vote in their constituencies on election day, like civilians, as “they may not be stationed in their constituency, therefore, the EOJ will have to get their ballots to them.”

According to the Public Education Officer, the ballots would be sent to a polling station located in the division in which the police officer is stationed. She explained that after each ballot is cast, it would be placed in a sealed envelope and then sent to the EOJ’s head office, at the close of the poll. However, when members of the public go to vote on election day, these ballots will be sent to the respective returning officers across the island.

She informed that some 50 polling stations across the island would be opened on August 21 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. for those persons to vote, while on election day (August 27), civilians are allowed to vote between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

While encouraging all registered persons to exercise their franchise, Mrs. Gilpin-Allen pointed out that persons who are registered to vote on August 21 must do so on that day as they would not be able to vote on election day.

“For persons who are registered to vote on August 21, who did not get to do so, they will not be permitted to vote on the general election day. This is because their names will not appear on the general voters’ list, as it was already extracted to be placed on a separate list,” she stressed.

On August 21, all polling stations will have Presiding officers, Poll clerks and Indoor and Outdoor agents.