THE final count of ballots from divisions contested in Monday’s local government election show that the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) will end up controlling nine councils to five for the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

The JLP had won eight councils outright following the preliminary count on Monday night. These were parish councils in Clarendon, Portland, St Ann, St Elizabeth, St James, St Mary, and Trelawny and the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation.

The PNP had won four — Manchester, Westmoreland, Hanover, and the Portmore Municipal Council.

On Tuesday, the Edgewater Division of the Portmore council, which the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) had declared as being won by the JLP candidate, was eventually won by the PNP. In addition, the Angels Division in St Catherine North Eastern eventually went to the PNP, as well, giving it a 22-19 majority in the Spanish Town-based council after the Portmore Municipal Council seats were added.

In St Thomas, the JLP and the PNP were still tied at five divisions each after yesterday’s final counts ended. However, the JLP, which has a majority of the popular vote, is expected to take over the mayorship of Morant Bay from the PNP.

In Kingston, where the PNP was pinning its hopes on reversing the 26-vote majority announced Monday night for the JLP’s Rosalie Hamilton (Rae Town), the JLP candidate held on in the final count to win by 21 votes.

The Jamaica Observer expects the final outcome of the poll to remain as such, despite being unable to get a final update from the EOJ up to press time and with 30 divisions still left to be counted.

JLP MP for St Thomas Western, James Robertson, where the parties tied 3-3, says that his party will be seeking magisterial recounts in two divisions — Llandewey and Cedar Valley.

He said that, in Llandewey, the JLP candidate lost by eight votes, while in Cedar Valley more than 300 votes were rejected. The JLP lost both divisions.

In a very brief release from its public relations officer last night, the EOJ stated that:

“The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) is reporting on Wednesday, November 30 that the votes for 30 electoral divisions are left to be completed, including the ballots for the Municipality of Portmore.

“Counting continues in the remaining electoral divisions and is expected to be completed by Thursday, December 1.”

The EOJ also posted updates on its website yesterday, noting the following results:

Kingston Central’s Rae Town Division is now officially declared for the JLP’s Rosalie Hamilton, 1,872 votes, as against the PNP’s Shawn McGregor, 1,851 votes, with 68 rejected ballots.

In St Catherine South Eastern (Edgewater), the seat was declared for the PNP’s Alric Campbell, 1,173, with the JLP’s Edris Walters polling 811 votes. There were 22 rejected ballots

In St Catherine North Central (Angels), the seat was declared for the PNP’s Patricia Harris, who polled 1,071 votes compared to the JLP’s Senator Kerencia Morrison, 1,054. There were five rejected ballots.

The EOJ also reported that in Clarendon South Western the Toll Gate Division was won by the JLP’s Radcliffe Knight, who polled 1,503 votes to the PNP’s Godfrey Knight’s 1,502. There were 23 rejected ballots.