ST ANN, Jamaica— Voting is off to a slow start in Monday’s by-election for the St Ann North Eastern seat.

While no incidents have been reported, Director of Elections Glasspole Brown acknowledged the slow turnout, agreeing with a reporter that the low numbers early in the day could signal a quiet voting period.

“Normally, a lot of persons turn out in the early morning… if you don’t see a crowd then, you know the rest of the day is going to be very slow,” he remarked.

However, with many hours of voting ahead, Brown remained cautiously optimistic.

Matthew Samuda is looking to retain the seat for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) against two opponents, David “Five Pound” Anderson, a former People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker who was nominated as an independent candidate, and the United Independents’ Congress’s Chase Neil. The main Opposition PNP did not field a candidate.

All 146 polling stations in the St Ann North East by-elections were opened by 7:05 am, Brown said.
The large constituency, which includes 40,836 registered electors, is supported by approximately 600 workers.