MEMBERS OF the security forces and Election Day workers yesterday cast their ballots ahead of the June 19 Local Government elections in polls marred by several glitches.

Throughout the day, voting crept along at a snail's pace, with most eligible voters staying away from the polls. The low voter turnout, which usually accompanies Local Government elections, was made worse by heavy rains which pelted the island during the morning.

Reports from across the country, however, indicated that voting was peaceful and orderly from the opening of polls at 8 a.m. to the close at 4 p.m. At Mobile Reserve in Kingston, which is the main polling station for police officers in the Corporate Area, voting moved along with few problems.

Over in St. Elizabeth, returning officer for South East St. Elizabeth, Basil Bennett, said that all four polling stations in the constituency were opened on time and voting went smoothly.

"I must tell you we have no hitches in this constituency, all those who were involved have co-operated with the procedures. The voter turnout was low to moderate," Mr. Bennett told The Gleaner.

However, there were instances of chaos and confusion as voters, particularly police officers, complained that their names were left off the voters' list. The ballots for many of the officers were sent to locations where they do not normally vote.

NAMES NOT ON LIST

At the St. Catherine South Police Divisional Headquarters in Greater Portmore, several policemen fussed over being excluded from the list. By 3 p.m., one hour before the close of polls, just over 30 persons had come to the voting centre at which 80 were listed to vote.

Alston Cleary, election observer from Citizens' Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), said only eight persons were allowed to vote as the others learned that their names were not on the list.

"I voted here for the (October 16) General Election, so I don't know why my name is not on the list now," said an angry Corporal Charley Williamson.

In Portland, several police officers who turned up at the courthouse in Port Antonio also complained bitterly when they were told that their names were not on the list.

Confusion was the order of the day at the Black River Police Station in St. Elizabeth, where more than 40 police personnel could not find their names on the voters' list when they turned up to cast their ballots.

In St. James, Westmoreland and Trelawny, there were no major problems but voter turnout was very low. Electoral officials estimated that voter turnout did not exceed 40 per cent.

Danville Walker, Director of Elections and head of the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), explained that the "hiccup" could have been the result of a breakdown in communication between the Police High Command and the EOJ. He said that three months prior to yesterday's poll the EOJ had sent 270 copies of the voters' list to the various polling stations, which were also published in the police Force Orders.

Additionally, he said, divisional commanders were requested to fill out specifically designed forms, confirming the location of officers. However, "What you find is that they (the forms) often return to the EOJ like we had sent them to the stations," he said.

GOOD REPORTS

In a release yesterday, the EOJ said that its reports from the field indicated that voting went well throughout the island. It said, however, that checks with the 21 polling stations for the police showed that there was a mix-up as to where some officers should vote.

Members of the security forces ­ the police and the military ­ usually vote a few days ahead of Election Day so as to be available for their peacekeeping duties when the rest of the population goes to the polls.

Election Day workers, who are full-time or part-time members of the staff of the EOJ, voted along with the security forces so they can also be available for duties on June 19.

Some 2,200 military personnel, 6,000 police officers and 16,000 Election Day workers were eligible to cast their vote yesterday. Thursday's elections are the 13th in the nation's history and will set back the treasury about $350 million.

Some 495 candidates have been nominated to contest the polls. The governing People's National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) fielded a full slate to contest all 227 divisions in the island's 12 Parish Councils and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). One JLP candidate has since died. Both parties also put up candidates to contest the seat for mayor of the newly-created Portmore municipality.

Some 14 candidates were fielded by the struggling National Democratic Movement (NDM), four by the Imperial Ethiopian World Federation Party (IEWFP) and two by the People's Progressive Party (PPP). Twenty-one independent candidates also took the plunge.