EOJ refers St Catherine South Central polling dispute to ECJ

The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) has referred a contentious matter involving the relocation of seven polling divisions in St Catherine South Central to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) for a ruling.

The situation, which some voters fear could suppress votes in the constituency, has triggered anxiety among residents who recall episodes of political violence in the area during past elections.

Director of Elections Glasspole Brown, who convened a meeting on Tuesday in an attempt to resolve the issue, said no final decision could be reached, so the matter was referred to the ECJ. A ruling could come today.

Voters along a section of St John’s Road, known as 8i, and in the Willowdene community are objecting to the relocation of the polling station from the St John’s Primary School, where they have voted since the 2011 General Election, to St Catherine High School.

“Now that they are moving the polling station from St John’s Primary School to St Catherine High School, mi nuh think mi a go vote. Mi want mi vote to stay at St John’s Primary,” said Anita Shaw, who voted in the 2020 General Election and last year’s local government elections at St John’s Primary.

“Nobody want to take that risk because of experience with violence in the past when the polling station was at St Catherine High School,” she added, expressing hope that the matter would be resolved before next Wednesday’s election day.

VOTERS FEARFUL

Another potential voter, speaking anonymously out of fear of repercussions, insisted: “Whoever plan this relocation of the polling station know that we from this side who are PNP (People’s National Party) supporters will not go past St John’s Primary on election day because of the fear of violence. So no. This nah go work out. Dem haffi change it back before the election day.”

One longtime voter said he would not return to St Catherine High School.

“They accuse us of trying to steal ballot box when the polling station was at Catherine High, and this cause war with the man dem from down the road, so we don’t want to go there to vote. Personally, I don’t want to risk my life going there to vote,” he said.

PNP candidate Kurt Matthews, who is challenging incumbent Dr Andrew Wheatley, said he never signed off on the change.

“We see this as a retrogade step going back to the years of intense violence and voter intimidation at the St Catherine High School,” he said.

Matthews, who noted that the relocation affects more than 1,500 voters across seven polling divisions, claimed, “I can only conclude that this was a designed plan to disenfranchise my strongest polling divisions.”

Brown admitted that he was unaware of the change until notified in a protest letter from Matthews. Wheatley, who defeated Matthews by just over 4,000 votes in the 2020 election, is seeking a fourth term in office.

ruddy.mathison@gleanerjm.com