Photo by Hans Deryk, Reuters: Soldiers guarding a polling station in South St. Andrew today, while members of the public queue to vote.

Two men are in police custody following an incident at the Grace Temple polling station in East Kingston. Police are investigating whether the men were amongst an armed group who invaded the station just before 12 midday.

Joan Gordon-Webley, the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) candidate for South East St. Andrew, said the men entered the premises in two cars and began firing shots, forcing persons to run for safety.

One of the cars was seized.

The area has a strong bias to the JLP, within the constituency, for which the incumbent is Maxine Henry-Wilson of the People’s National Party (PNP). The polling station was closed temporarily, but police said voting is expected to resume. Six persons were murdered in the previous two days in the constituency.

There is a relative calm in the South East St. Andrew constituency, which has proved a hotbed of political violence in the run up to today’s general election.

News media have reported tension a polling station in the Mountain View area of the constituency from the start of voting this morning.

It is alleged that the unease stemmed from voters who refused to join the line and wait their turn to cast their ballot. Fortunately, soldiers from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) stepped in quickly and diffused the tension.

Observers from Citizens’ Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) are also in the constituency.

On the other hand, there was no nervousness at the polling stations in Nannyville and the Saint Peter and Paul Church, as voters exercised their franchise in an orderly fashion.

Some glitches have also been reported as some voters turned up to polling stations without their voters’ identification card. This resulted in a minor delay.

On a lighter note, voters were out in their colours and some were seen sporting umbrellas - either to hide from the sun’s pelting rays or as a precautionary measure against expected showers from the feisty hurricane Felix.

Joan Gordon-Webley of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and Maxine Henry-Wilson of the People’s National Party (PNP) are the candidates for this constituency.