Both the BBC and Reuters organisations are focusing on the closeness of the race. Meanwhile AFP is leading with the violence.

“The storm postponed one of the most crucial elections in recent history, which could have political consequences for the island nation of 2 million people and its diaspora in South Florida.” says Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Judgement Day - Political careers on the line as nation goes to polls
History hinges on a monumental vote today as Jamaicans go to the polls to elect a new government to manage the country’s affairs for the next five years and determine the destiny of its major political leaders.

Triple-treat election coverage
The Gleaner’s media entities have come together to provide the most comprehensive election coverage in Jamaica on radio, in print and online.

Gleaner Editors’ Forum - Who will win the youth vote?
THE BATTLE is on today to capture the hearts of young Jamaican voters and have the results reflected in the ballot box.

Nightmare for election workers
Several election-day workers, disgusted by accommodation arrangements at the Mico University College where they were to overnight yesterday, walked out on the institution.

Do or die for both leaders
WITH BOTH leaders having been elevated to their respective positions to secure victory for their party in the elections, failure at the polls may end their political careers, analysts say.

‘Ballots safe’
The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) is seeking to assure the public that no one is able to verify how the police, the military or election-day workers voted on August 28, saying that the ballots remain in a very secure location.

Triple murder raises tensions
Tension and fear gripped sections of South East St. Andrew and South East St. Elizabeth on the weekend, hours before the general election.

Jamaica watching ‘Felix’ factor
Tropical storm conditions could affect voter turnout today as fierce ‘Felix’, a Category Five system and the second named hurricane of the Atlantic season, hurtles towards the Yucatan Peninsula.

Ballots rule over bullets
Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Prof. Errol Miller, yesterday signalled a warning to candidates and electors that fraud or intimidation would not be tolerated in today’s general election.

Seats to watch tonight
Keep your eyes on these seats tonight! These 20 seats could decide which party wins Jamaica’s 15th elections since universal adult suffrage in 1944.

West Rural St. Andrew - ‘We need better housing, better water supply system’
The constituency of West Rural St. Andrew is as varied in its terrain and housing units as it is in its people.

Trade union split in the offing
A MAJOR split in the country’s trade union movement appears likely in the wake of thecontentious general election campaign.

Question: Jamaica is a God-fearing country. Our politicians are now keen to display their faith. Meanwhile the ’sparing’ of Jamaica from the full impact of recent hurricanes, including Dean, has been attributed by many Christians to their prayers being answered by God. But given that Dean delayed Election Day by one week and with Hurricane Felix putting Jamaica under a Tropical Storm Warning for the final date tomorrow, is God saying something about our political system?

An Associated Press report published in the International Herald Tribune today suggests Hurricane Dean could be the tipping point in this election, weighing against the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) and favouring the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP):

“Both sides are critical of the other’s reaction to Dean. But at least one influential poll — taken a week after the hurricane when thousands of people still had no power or water and streets were littered with debris — suggests the Prime Minister suffered more.”

Photo by Ross Sheil: TVJ live broadcast of then Prime Minister P.J. Patterson announcing his successor as President of the People’s National Party (PNP), taken on February 25, 2006.

Take a close look at the television screen above and you will read that Peter Phillips has become the new People’s National Party (PNP) President; elected by a ballot of Party delegates. TVJ had of course called it early and a few seconds later Mr. Patterson announced Mrs. Simpson Miller as the rightful winner.

With a general election taking place a year and a half later on Monday, the PNP campaign might have taken a different flavour were Mr. Phillips leading his party rather than Mrs. Simpson Miller.

The Opposition may also have differed under the leadership of then challenger Pearnel Charles had he beaten Mr. Golding to became JLP leader, a year before Mrs. Simpson Miller took up her current office?

Both campaigns have focused on their leaders - the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) presenting Mr. Golding as a ‘man-in-charge’ and the PNP promising a “vote for the PNP is a vote for Portia”.

While it is not uncommon in any election, anywhere, for parties and voters to focus on the leaders, it might be worth considering who else you will be voting in. Members of Parliament and Ministers will as ever play essential roles in assisting an elected Prime Minister to run the Government.

The Gleaner has already speculated on which figures would make up the next PNP or JLP administration.

Win or lose, what would be the consequence for the leadership of either the PNP or the JLP - who will lead them and which senior figures might benefit, or not?

Share your predictions for the next Cabinet and tell us which figures you would like in which Ministerial post and why? Comment below …

JLP favourite - Golding’s party may win 32 seats or more, Portia’s PNP could force tie
The Bruce Golding-led Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) appears on course to win Jamaica’s 15th general election in which 1.3 million electors will choose 60 members to sit in the House of Representatives tomorrow.

‘We’ve done enough to win - PNP’s Robertson
DESPITE recent opinion polls showing the ‘Portia Train’ running out of steam metres away from the finish line, People’s National Party (PNP) campaign director, Dr. Paul Robertson, seems convinced that the party has done enough work to make it into the winners’ enclosure.

Drawn result is a possibility
As the two major political parties race down the stretch towards the finish line, some analysts are suggesting there could be a tie.

Election victories
The following are seat counts in general elections held in Jamaica since Universal Adult suffrage in 1944 …

Daraine’s campaign log - Trailing the Portia Train
AFTER 13 weeks trailing the ‘Portia Train’, I have witnessed the mood of the People’s National Party (PNP) swing from buoyancy to cautious optimism.

Edmond’s campaign log - JLP took message of change islandwide
On July 26, 2006, the JLP oiled its election machinery and hit the campaign trail - a journey that started with a five-day tour of major towns across the island.

All in the family
It is well known that several of our politicians from both sides of the divide are related, whether by blood or marriage. Our political history is replete with it.

Samuda wants voting delayed in two areas
The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has recommended to the Electoral Commission the postponement of voting in two polling divisions in Central Manchester.

Manchester killings political - PNP
The People’s National Party (PNP) is claiming that the killings in the community of Georges Valley in Manchester, on Friday night, were politically motivated and are among a series of attacks aimed at the party in the build-up to the election.

How can an election be voided?
An election can be voided if activities occur in that polling station which could influence the results. The Constituted Authority may apply to the Election Court for the voiding of the election results on one or more of the following grounds.

Safe seats
A list of seats that are expected to return sitting candidate or party.

Long-serving MPs could be blown out of their seats
AN ANTI-INCUMBENCY breeze is churning across Jamaica and many long-serving and popular Members of Parliament are in danger of being blown away to the political garbage heap.

Both parties calling for continuity
Over the last couple of weeks, the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) and the Gleaner have engaged in a detailed analysis of the manifestos of the Jamaica Labour Party and People’s National Party.

Attack ads increase in last lap
As the advertising campaign for the September 3 general election drew to a close this weekend, both the People’s National Party (PNP) and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) intensified the ‘air war’ with a barrage of attack ads on both party leaders.

For political animals suffering from election withdrawal when party advertisements stop airing at midnight Sunday, you can catch up via both main parties’ dedicated channels on video-sharing website YouTube.com.

The People’s National Party (PNP) yesterday posted eight of its campaign advertisements to its recently established YouTube channel, following the example of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), which launched its own two months ago.

However, as this blog has similarly experienced, JLP supporters, using the comment facility on YouTube have been quick to attack the PNP and also their supporters who post comments.

‘Gun dens’ Seven constituencies on police radar - South East St. Andrew West Central St. Andrew South East St. Elizabeth West Rural St. Andrew West Portland North Central Clarendon West St. Thomas
The police have put seven constituencies on their radar as areas of concern for election day, warning that guns remain in the communities.

How would a new PNP Cabinet look?
There will be a shake-up of sorts in the Cabinet if Portia Simpson Miller gets her own mandate when Jamaicans go to the polls next Monday, September 3. But, for those calling for sweeping changes, that will not happen. The fact is, after 18 years in office, the PNP has grown stale and has seemingly ran out of options.

No future for depressed communities
A FEW of the familiar areas that make up the St. Andrew Western constituency are Duhaney Park, Seaview Gardens and Waterhouse.

CARICOM observer at ease with election preparations
The CARICOM electoral observer mission to Jamaica is reporting that it is satisfied with the state of readiness of the electoral machinery in the run-up to the general election on Monday.

Allegiance lawsuit filed
The first lawsuit challenging the alleged dual citizenship of a Jamaica Labour Party candidate was filed yesterday in the Supreme Court.

Expect heavy rains on election day
With the general elections scheduled for Monday, September 3, following an earlier postponement because of the passage of Hurricane Dean on August 19, the island could experience more showers come Monday, when the sixth tropical depression of the season is expected to pass over the country’s south coast.

Parties denounce all acts of political violence
The Two main political parties contesting Monday’s general election have denounced all acts of political violence.

Wear colours but no images
WITH SUPPORTER exuberance expected to be at fever-pitch on election day Monday, the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) and the Electoral Commission (EC) have taken steps to ensure the safety of its staff.

JLP campaign organiser attacked
Jamaica Labour Party campaign organiser for South East St. Elizabeth, Jeremy Palmer, considers himself ‘lucky to be alive’, after gunmen invaded his house and shot at him, sending him diving through a window for safety.

Director of Elections Danville Walker has written to the media to warn about what he said were attempts to mislead voters by challenging the validity of candidates.

The People’s National Party (PNP) has alleged that seven Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidates of being citizens of other countries, which if true, would make them ineligible to take their seats in Parliament, if elected.

Photo by Andrew Smith, Photography Editor: On Nomination Day, August 7, these Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters of their candidate for the West Portland constituency, Daryl Vaz, dressed up this goat in an Abe Dabdoub t-shirt, his People’s National Party (PNP) rival for the seat. Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair previously had to intervene to calm tensions between the two candidates - Mr. Dabdoub today filed a lawsuit against Mr. Vaz.

PNP candidate for West Portland Abe Dabdoub this morning filed a lawsuit against his JLP rival Daryl Vaz, based on the same allegation. Earlier this month, PNP Chairman Robert Pickersgill wrote to the Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, Professor Errol Miller asking him to investigate the reports of dual citizenship.

Mr. Walker referred to a previous release issued by his office on the issue and reiterated that all 146 candidates have been properly nominated to the satisfaction of the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) and would have their ballots printed for nomination day.

“The public is asked to be aware that persons are apparently seeking to mislead electors that votes cast for certain candidates will be wasted. This is False. Electors are encouraged to go out and vote on election day,” he said.

He reminded that persons convicted of issuing false information to persuade voters not to vote for a candidate, would be liable for fines of between $50,000 - $200,000 or imprisonment if they fail to pay.