Security forces to vote Oct 12

Left: Police Right: Army

MEMBERS OF the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force will go to the polls on Saturday, October 12, four days before the rest of the population votes on Wednesday, October 16 in the country's 14th parliamentary elections since Adult Suffrage in 1944.

About 21,000 election day workers, including poll clerks, presiding officers and volunteers, will also vote on October 12, freeing them to carry out their duties on the day of the election.

The security forces normally cast their ballots before the general population so they are also free to work on election day. In the past, police officers and soldiers who did not vote at the prescribed time were allowed to vote on election day. However, Danville Walker, Director of Elections, told editors and senior reporters at a recent Editors' Forum that will not happen this time around.

While the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) is insisting that all is in place for October 12, it could not state how many security personnel were registered to vote or where they would vote.

"At present we are on schedule with making the necessary arrangements for the poll to take place and an indication as to locations will be made public in due course," the EOJ said yesterday.