The following are excerpts of a speech by the chairman of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, Dorothy Pine-McLarty, at a recent breakfast forum in Kingston: We at the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) and the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) are delighted that you have carved out time from your…
‘Democracy Passport’ Key To Electoral Participation
Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), Dorothy Pine-McLarty, has hailed Wednesday’s launch of Jamaica’s first ‘Democracy Passport’ as essential to help develop a higher level of interest in community and electoral participation. The following are excerpts from Pine-McLarty’s speech during the launch at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in…
ECJ Engages Church
The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) and the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches (JUGC) met recently to discuss ways in which members of the clergy and the Christian community can play a greater role in the democratic process. Read more at jamaica-gleaner.com
Delayed Distribution of Voter ID Cards
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The printing of the Voter Identification Cards for the 26,259 electors added to the May 31, 2016 voters’ list will be delayed. The Electoral Office of Jamaica is reporting that the card production equipment recently started malfunctioning, resulting in a delay in the printing process. “We are experiencing…
Jamaica seeks to improve death registration rate
Despite the law mandating that the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) relay all registered deaths to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), over 200,000 names on the voters’ list are speculated to be of dead or migrated individuals. Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act mandates that the RGD…
Help Perfect Electoral System
The Jamaican electoral system has been significantly transformed since colonial times when, for instance, candidates seeking political office engaged in practices of skulduggery, malfeasance, and even imprisoned legal voters, replacing them with ineligible electors, a situation that occurred under the governorship of Prince Rupert, the Earle of Albermarle, in 1687.…
April 6 Deadline For Candidates To Declare Election Expenses
Candidates who contested the February 25 general election have until April 6 to file returns on their expenses with the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ). The ECJ issued a reminder in the media yesterday. Under the law, candidates or their agents must file an election return with the Returning Office…
ECJ Takes On Low Votes – Electoral Commission To Utilise New Strategies To Reduce Apathy Among Electors
Allowing voting from places such as hospitals and nursing homes is among the options the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) will be weighing as it grapples with increasing apathy among Jamaican electors. Fewer than 48 per cent of registered voters turned out to cast their ballots in the February 25…