The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) will today indicate whether the final count of candidates for the upcoming General Election who were appointed during yesterday’s Nomination Day exercise remains at the 150 announced initially. Shortly after the close of Nomination Day activities yesterday, the EOJ signalled that a total 150 candidates were nominated to contest the General Election scheduled for December 29. But speaking with the Observer yesterday, Director of Elections Orette Fisher said a final count would be done today.
“I want to point out, however, and it is very important, that the count we have given is very preliminary because I cannot give a final count until the nomination forms come in from all the constituencies and we are able to go through them,” the director of elections said.
“Say, for example, someone in calling in the nomination data (to the EOJ head offices) overlooked an Independent or any of the smaller parties, then it means our figures could be out by one or two. So even though this figure should be fairly accurate it has to be viewed as preliminary,” he said, noting that the information on those forms is what is used to prepare the ballots used on election day. He noted that the principle of a recount was not alien.
“It’s a similar thing when you do the count on election night, those figures are preliminary, you have a final count the following day with the returning officer. I am saying the figures that were called into my office, I want you to consider them preliminary,” Fisher said, noting that while in the final analysis the number might not vary, a final count was still necessary
“Until we check it, I don’t want to consider it final,” he emphasised.
A breakdown of the overall candidacy figures showed that 63 candidates were nominated for the ruling Jamaica Labour Party as well as for the Opposition People’s National Party.
Full Article: All set! – 150 candidates nominated for December 29 election – News – JamaicaObserver.com.
