Eligibility Exception:
insanity, death sentence, imprisonment for 6 months or more, conviction of electoral fraud, persons holding certain offices connected with the elections
Right Vote Foreign Res:
Commonwealth citizens can vote with 1 year residency requirements
Registration Type:
Formal registration in office
Registration Basis:
Residence requirement
Multiple Registr Allowed:
Only 1 registration allowed at a time
Election Management & Enforcement
Nameof EMB:
Electoral Commission
Independent EMB:
No
EMBNominations:
9 members selected by the Governor-General, on recommendation by the differnent parties (Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, Commissioners). Expert based membership.
Restrictto Candidacy:
Qualified electors, age: 21 years, Jamaican or British Commonwealth citizenship, residency in the country during 12 months immediately preceding the nomination, ineligibility: allegiance to a foreign State, undischarged bankrupts, nomination between 23 and 16 days before elections, support of at least 10 qualified electors, deposit of $Jam.100 reimbursed if the candidate polls at least 1/8 of the total votes cast.
Debate Average:
1
Debate Format:
Multiparty
Electoral System & Organisation
Elect System Main Election:
Plurality
Main Election Type:
General
Main Election Cycle:
5
Numb Round Main Election:
One
Referenda_Binding:
A legislative referendum can be called in order to abrogate a law totally or partially, if requested by 500,000 electors or five regional councils. This kind of referendum is valid only if at least a majority of electors goes to the polling station. It is forbidden to call a referendum regarding financial laws or laws relating to pardons or the ratification of international treaties.
Voting Machine:
None
Vote IDRequired:
ID check compulsory
Polling Card:
Polling card compulsory
National Holiday Elect Day:
Never
Districting Source:
Parliament
Districting Flexibility:
(2) As soon as practicable after the House of Representatives first meets after the appointed day or following any general election there shall be established a Standing Committee of the House consisting of- (a) the Speaker, as Chairman; (b) three members of the House appointed by the Prime Minister; and (c) three members of the House appointed by the Leader of the Opposition. (3) It shall be the function of the Standing Committee to keep under continuous review- (a) the number of constituencies into which Jamaica is to be divided; and (b) the boundaries of such constituencies.
Frequency Districting Change:
4
Polling Station
Average Voterby Polling Station:
275
Normal Opening Time Poll Station:
700
Normal Closing Time Poll Station:
1700
Polling Station Numbers:
6629
Listof Polling Station Buildings:
public building
Accessibility Requirement:
Party to UNCRPD
Box Feeding System:
Personnel
Vote Receipt:
No receipt
Tellersor Party Employees:
Election day workers must be: At least 17 years old, be literate, able to read and write well, honest, willing to attend training, willing to work and we also require that you have a Tax Registration Number (TRN). Each person who works on election day will receive a stipend for working on the day, plus an additional stipend for having attended the training courses.
Count Locallyor Centrally:
locally
Manualor Automatic Count:
manual
Ballot Paper
Ballot Type:
Paper
Singleor Multi Paper Ballot:
Single
Ballot Paper Type Description:
The ballot of each voter shall be a printed paper, in this Act called a ballot paper, on which the names, addresses and occupations of the candidates alphabetically arranged in the order of their surnames and numbered accordingly shall be printed exactly as they are set out in the nomination paper. Opposite to the name of each candidate there shall be a prescribed symbol.
Orderof Candidatesor Parties:
alphabetical
Remote Voting
Temporal Remote Voting:
No
Geographical Remote Voting:
No
Personal Remote Voting:
No
Mobile Polling Stations:
No
Special Needs
Provision First Time Voters:
Vote Jamaica initiative (no specifically targeted at first-time voters)
Provision Illiterate Voters:
Representation of the People Act (1944, last amended 2011). First Schedule, section 28 states: Where a person who is being registered is unable to read, the registration officer shall read over to him and where practicable in the presence of scrutineers the contents of his registration record card.
Provision Blind Voters:
Representation of the People Act (1944, last amended 2011). Section 36 subsection (3) states: The presiding officer shall act in accordance with subsection (4) upon the request of (a) an elector who- (i) is incapacitated from voting -in the 'manner prescribed b; this Act, due to any physical cause other than blindness; and (ii) takes an oath in the form set out in Form 12 of the Second Schedule; or (b) a blind elector who takes an oath in the form set out in Form 13 of the Second Schedule. Section 36, subsection (4) states: The presiding officer shall, at the option of the elector (a) assist the elector by marking the elector's ballot paper- (i) in the manner directed by the elector; and (ii) in the presence of the poll 'clerk and the sworn agents of the candidates or of the sworn electors representing the candidates in the polling station, but no other person, and placing the ballot in the ballot box; or (b) permit the person described in subsection (5) to accompany the elector into the voting compartment and mark the elector's ballot for him.
Provision Deaf Voters:
Representation of the People Act (1944, last amended 2011). Section 36 subsection (3) states: The presiding officer shall act in accordance with subsection (4) upon the request of (a) an elector who- (i) is incapacitated from voting -in the 'manner prescribed b; this Act, due to any physical cause other than blindness; and (ii) takes an oath in the form set out in Form 12 of the Second Schedule; or (b) a blind elector who takes an oath in the form set out in Form 13 of the Second Schedule. Section 36, subsection (4) states: The presiding officer shall, at the option of the elector (a) assist the elector by marking the elector's ballot paper- (i) in the manner directed by the elector; and (ii) in the presence of the poll 'clerk and the sworn agents of the candidates or of the sworn electors representing the candidates in the polling station, but no other person, and placing the ballot in the ballot box; or (b) permit the person described in subsection (5) to accompany the elector into the voting compartment and mark the elector's ballot for him.
Provision Motor Handicap Voters:
Representation of the People Act (1944, last amended 2011). Section 36 subsection (3) states: The presiding officer shall act in accordance with subsection (4) upon the request of (a) an elector who- (i) is incapacitated from voting -in the 'manner prescribed b; this Act, due to any physical cause other than blindness; and (ii) takes an oath in the form set out in Form 12 of the Second Schedule; or (b) a blind elector who takes an oath in the form set out in Form 13 of the Second Schedule. Section 36, subsection (4) states: The presiding officer shall, at the option of the elector (a) assist the elector by marking the elector's ballot paper- (i) in the manner directed by the elector; and (ii) in the presence of the poll 'clerk and the sworn agents of the candidates or of the sworn electors representing the candidates in the polling station, but no other person, and placing the ballot in the ballot box; or (b) permit the person described in subsection (5) to accompany the elector into the voting compartment and mark the elector's ballot for him.