KINGSTON, Jamaica — Director of Elections Orette Fisher has said that technicians were sent out to look at the electronic voter identification systems that are being used in seven constituencies, following numerous reports about the length of time it is taking for people to cast their votes.

“For example, technicians that went to Andrews Memorial still came back and said it was taking an average of three minutes for electors to vote, there are places where quicker times have been reported,” he said. “I still stand by the fact that we are a little bit impatient because if it is taking three minutes to vote and you have 20 or 30 people in front of you by doing a simple math, you realise you’ll be there for over an hour,” Fisher stated.

He said that complaints that presiding officers are moving slowly to frustrate the process is not so, as they would have no idea who voters are and have no reason to hinder the process.

The director of elections maintained that people are working at different paces.

In the meantime, he appealed to Jamaicans to ensure that they vote before the ballots close at 5:00 pm.

“All the workers should know that at the close of the polls at 5, anybody who is in the line is permitted to vote, for example if by time 5 o clock rolls around and we have 500 persons in the line under the law, those 500 persons would be allowed to vote,” he stated. “However no additional persons will be allowed to join the line after this.”

He added that the supervisor at the polling station should ask a policeman to stand at the end at 5:00 pm, to deter others from joining the line.

At 1:00 pm, 500,463 or 31 per cent of Jamaicans had cast their votes.

Javene Skyers