ECJ grateful to the public for contribution

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The exercise to identify, confirm and remove the names of electors who have died from the Voters’ List is progressing as scheduled with more than 31,000 electors reported as dead so far. The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) is crediting the progress to the co-operation of the public and stakeholders as well as the team of temporary verifiers.

Under the project, Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) verifiers have been deployed into constituencies to visit the homes of 1.1 million electors island-wide in an effort to identify electors who have died in the 40 and over age range. Up to December 31, 2018, more than 358,000 electors’ homes have been visited since the project began. This figure represents 32 per cent of the total number of electors to be visited. The exercise to visit the homes of electors is expected to continue until March 2019, after which, the EOJ will continue receiving information from the public and from stakeholders.

According to Director of Elections, Glasspole Brown, the exercise has been advancing smoothly across the island.

“The exercise has been productive and continues to progress quite efficiently since we began in November, 2018. Our verifiers have been performing creditably and constituents for the most part have been very co-operative. The inclement weather conditions in some sections of the island were a minor challenge however that has not deterred the project,” he said.

The Honourable Dorothy Pine-McLarty, Chairman of the ECJ, says the Commission wishes to express thanks to members of the public who have contributed to the project thus far by sharing information on their deceased relatives and friends.

“We want to thank the public for their assistance in identifying dead electors; the support of the public and the information we receive from citizens is significant to the success of this tremendous project. We are appealing to the public to continue to assist us by submitting information for family members, friends or loved ones who have died,” she said.

Once electors have been identified as dead, the EOJ will conduct investigations into the reports to confirm the deaths. Electors confirmed as deceased will be gradually removed from the Voters’ List.

Members of the public may submit information on dead electors by visiting any EOJ constituency office or sending an e-mail to eojinfo@eoj.com.jm or calling the EOJ toll-free at 888-991-VOTE (8683).