The law provides various mean to establish an elector’s identity if they are not in possession of a voter ID card on election day.
It states that if the elector is unable to produce the card by virtue of it being lost, stolen, destroyed, mutilated, or defaced “…that elector shall take the oath of identity in the prescribed form and otherwise establish his identity to the satisfaction of the presiding officer.”
Section 5 Subsection 8 of the Parish Council Act states that “In order to establish the identity of any person by whom a ballot is demanded, the presiding officer may, if he deems it necessary, make the following enquiries of such person-
his date of birth
his place of birth
the maiden name of his mother
the place of birth of his mother
and the presiding officer shall compare the answers given by such person with the information appearing on the record…pertaining to the elector in whose name the ballot is demanded.”
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Identification of the elector
The law provides various mean to establish an elector’s identity if they are not in possession of a voter ID card on election day.
It states that if the elector is unable to produce the card by virtue of it being lost, stolen, destroyed, mutilated, or defaced “…that elector shall take the oath of identity in the prescribed form and otherwise establish his identity to the satisfaction of the presiding officer.”
Section 5 Subsection 8 of the Parish Council Act states that “In order to establish the identity of any person by whom a ballot is demanded, the presiding officer may, if he deems it necessary, make the following enquiries of such person-
his date of birth
his place of birth
the maiden name of his mother
the place of birth of his mother
and the presiding officer shall compare the answers given by such person with the information appearing on the record…pertaining to the elector in whose name the ballot is demanded.”
In subsection (9) No person of whom enquiries are made pursuant to S. 5. subsection (8) shall be allowed to vote unless his identity is established to the satisfaction of the presiding officer.
Having satisfactorily established the identity of the elector, then following procedure shall obtain:
… each elector shall receive from the presiding officer a ballot paper on which such officer has previously put his initials so placed that when the ballot is folded they can be seen without opening it, and on the counterfoil of which he has placed a number corresponding to the consecutive number given to the elector and entered in the poll book opposite the name of such elector.
Subsection (2) The presiding officer shall instruct the elector how and where to affix his mark, and shall properly fold the elector's ballot paper, directing him to return it, when marked, folded as shown, but without inquiring or seeing for whom the elector intends to vote, except when the elector is unable to vote in the manner prescribed by this Act on account of blindness or other physical incapacity.
It goes on to state in Subsection (3) The elector on receiving the ballot paper shall forthwith enter one of the polling compartments and there mark his ballot paper by making a cross with a black lead pencil within the space containing the name of the candidate for whom he intends to vote, and he shall then fold the ballot paper as directed so that the initials and the number on the counterfoil can be seen without opening it, and hand the paper to the presiding officer, who shall, without unfolding it, ascertain by examination of the initials and numbers appearing thereon that it is the same paper as that delivered to the elector and if the same he shall subject to the provisions of section 34 forthwith in full view of the voter and all others present remove and destroy the counterfoil and deposit the ballot in the ballot box.
(4) An elector who has inadvertently so dealt with the ballot paper delivered to him that it cannot conveniently be used shall restore it to the presiding officer who shall so deface it as to render it a spoiled ballot. The presiding officer shall then deliver another ballot paper to the elector.
(5) Every elector shall vote without undue delay and shall leave the polling station as soon as his ballot paper has been put into the ballot box.
The legislation also deals with what is supposed to happen at the end of the voting day.
(6) If at the hour of closing of the poll there are any electors inside the polling station or within the immediate precincts thereof who are qualified to vote and have not been able to do so since their arrival at the polling station, the poll shall be kept open a sufficient time to enable them to vote, but no one not actually present within the polling station or actually identified by the presiding officer as being within the immediate precincts aforesaid at the hour of closing shall be allowed to vote.
The Electoral Commission of Jamaica, through the Electoral Office of Jamaica, is the body responsible for the conduct of elections in Jamaica. It is comprised of eight members appointed by the Governor-General; four selected commissioners, four nominated Commissioners and the Director of Elections.
