Residents of St. James have begun exercising their right to vote in a peaceful manner. Reports coming from West Central St. James were that the voting process had started on a quiet and slow pace.

Voters at the Anchovy Primary School voiced their frustration at the long wait they had to endure, and threatened to leave the poling station and return to their home or work.

It is also being reported that though the level of security is high throughout the parish, the actual voting process is being compromised. Instances of “open voting” are being reported at the Mount Carey Baptist Church, wherein, due to the setup of the voter’s booths, a voter’s selection can be easily viewed.

Francis Tulloch of the People’s National Party (PNP) is running against Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) incumbent in the constituency.

The voters are out in huge numbers in East Hanover but proceedings in the constituency remain thankfully uneventful.

In fact, the most drama came when an elderly woman who spoiled her ballot, and that was due to what seemed to have been nervousness.

Two other citizens also turned up to vote only to find out their names were not on the list. There are still no reported problems with the polling stations.

Dr. D.K. Duncan of the People’s National Party (PNP) and Barrington Gray of the of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) are vying for this constituency.

The signs of a maturing electorate were clear this morning at the Annotto Bay Courthouse in the South East St. Mary as persons sporting the colours of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP) lined up to cast their ballots without incident.

Of course, there were those who faced the disappointment of not being able to vote because their names weren’t on the voters’ list. JLP candidate, Tarn Peralto, had to travel to three polling stations before he finally voted at the Annotto Bay Polling Station, where there were long lines, as the voter turnout in South East St. Mary promises to be high.

The incumbant Member of Parliament is Harry Douglas of the PNP.

No international observers were present at the Annotto Bay Polling Station.

Photo by Rudolph Brown, Chief Photographer: Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Leader Bruce Golding and his family heading towards the polling station in Millsborough, St. Andrew today.

Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Bruce Golding this morning voted for Delroy Chuck Mr. Golding, his candidate for the North East St. Andrew constituency.

Mr. Golding arrived five minutes after his schedule 11 a.m. time at the polling station located at 30 Millsborough Avenue in the St. Andrew hills where the incumbent Mr. Chuck, is running against the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Hugh Thompson and the Imperial Ethiopian World Federation Incorporated Political Party’s (IEWFIPP) Raoul Alder.

Mr. Golding was accompanied by his wife Lorna; and their son Steven and daughters Shereen and Anmeritta, who was the only family member not to vote at the polling station.

After casting his ballot, Mr. Golding called for voters to accept the results of the election, regardless of the outcome, and for victors to be gracious in their celebrations.

Over in West Central St. Andrew, where the PNP’s Patrick Roberts is trying to dethrone the JLP’s Andrew Holness, sections of Olympic Way had been blocked with debris. However, several JLP supporters could be seen out in their colours.

There were more blocked roads in the West Kingston constituency, where Mr. Golding is again being challenged by the PNP’s Joseph Witter. Sections of Denham Town and Matthews Lane in the vicinity of Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) were also blocked.

Some persons waited in line for up to two hours before casting their votes this morning at the Dumphries Primary School, East Central St. James.

The delay in the voting process at one of the three polling stations at the school is being blamed on inexperienced Election Day workers.

Some of the voters were heard saying they were prepared to leave and would not vote if they had to wait much longer.

Approximately 100 persons have voted so far.

The Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Edmund Bartlet, the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Donald Colomathi and independent candidate Royston Richards are contesting this constituency.

Photo by Andrew Smith, Gleaner Photography Editor: these men were pushing a van that had broken down while travelling on the waterlogged Palisadoes Road this morning. Sea swells associated with Hurricane Felix had earlier washed sea water onto the roadway.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is advising that sea swells associated with Hurricane Felix has rendered the Palisadoes Road leading to the Norman Manley International Airport almost impassable at this time.

ODPEM said that the National Works Agency (NWA) were monitoring the situation.

Motorists are advised to proceed with extreme caution when traveling along this road.

The Meteorological Service is keeping Jamaica under a Tropical Storm Watch as a result of Hurricane Felix that is presently south of Jamaica and moving towards the west.

Despite Hurricane Felix not being a direct threat to Jamaica at this time, the ODPEM is imploring the public to remain aware until the watch is lifted.

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LATEST: N E St. Ann ballot box theft was ‘attempted only’
St. Ann police have confirmed an attempted break-in at the house of an Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) supervisor in Priory.

The incident reportedly took place shortly after 1 a.m. in the consitutency of North East St. Ann.

Superintendent Patricia White says the supervisor’s car was broken into and attempts made at stealing three of five ballot boxes that were in the vehicle.

Superintendent White said the intruders than attempted to kick off the door of the supervisors house.

However Director of Elections (EOJ) Danville Walker says no ballot boxes were present in the supervisor’s car at the time of the incident.

East Portland voting
In East Portland where Dr. Donald Rhodd is representing the People’s National Party (PNP) and Dennis Wright the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), there have been no reports of incidents.

However the polling station at the Boston Primary School opened 35 minutes late as the supervisor reportedly received the wrong set of election material.

Several persons also turned up early to cast their ballots.

And despite the intermittent showers across the parish electors have been casting their ballots.

Police investigating Lacovia murder
Lacovia police are investigating the circumstances under which 30-year-old Michael Foster was murdered this morning.

According to reports, a woman living in Bardon district in St. Elizabeth went to investigate a knock on her door just after 12 a.m.

Upon opening the door she found Mr. Foster suffering from gunshot wounds.

Police are yet to establish a motive for the killing.

Photo by Richard Morais: votes queuing to vote in Falmouth, South Trelawny.

The election process in the South Trelawny constituency can be described as brisk, but nobody will be going anywhere soon. The turnout is massive and the voters are waiting patiently in line.

Voters are complaining that the process is taking longer than they are accustomed to.

However the polling stations opened on time in the constituency with Doneth Brown-Reid of the People’s National Party (PNP) challenging the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Marisa Dalrymple-Philebert.

A male People’s National Supporter was detained in the troubled Flankers area of Montego Bay, St. James as persons gathered to cast their votes this morning in the North West constituency.

He was detained after after he allegedly got into a scuffle and threw juice on another man, a supporter of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

The police and military quickly responded before things got out of order.

There is a strong military presence in the communities of Flankers, Norwood and Glendevon, which have been a hotbed of violence in recent months.

Shahine Robinson, the incumbent Member of Parliament and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for North East St. Ann, is claiming that the missing ballot box in the constituency is a deliberate act of sabotage, coming as it did in her stronghold district of Exchange.

According to police, an electoral officer’s vehicle was broken into outside that person’s home in Priory and the empty boxes removed. This delayed voting process in that area. Robinson said she will be seeking to have the voting time extended.

Voters at the Ocho Rios Primary polling station also had to wait an extra hour before the first ballot was cast. It is not clear why the opening of the station was delayed or what will be done to remedy the situation.

The polling station falls in the North East St. Ann constituency where Mrs. Robinson is trying to keep the seat from the People National Party’s Oswest Senior-Smith.

All the other polling stations were opened on time with huge clusters of voters waiting.