House approves EAC report on workers

THE REPORT of the Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC) was approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday amid concerns that election day workers could be robbed of their vote due to proposed changes.

A central recommendation of the report is that election day workers vote in advance of the national poll alongside members of the security forces. However, if a person replaces an election day worker who has already voted, he would be forced to cast his ballot on the day of the national poll in the polling division he was registered to vote.

Leader of Government Business, Dr. Peter Phillips suggested that the move was aimed at reducing the use of the 'transfer vote' on the day of the election. The transfer vote allows an election worker to vote in the polling division in which he is working, rather than the one in which he is registered. In the past transfer votes have led to corrupt practices such as double voting.

Dr. Phillips added that some workers would have to make up their minds whether it was more important to vote or work on election day.

He was giving a response to Opposition member Karl Samuda, who argued that the recommendation could result in several workers losing their votes.

"What you are doing is running the risk of disenfranchising those workers by removing the vehicle of the transfer vote," Mr. Samuda said.

However, Dr. Phillips said Mr. Samuda should take up the issue with the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) representatives on the EAC.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Business, Derrick Smith praised election day workers, noting that they had made a valuable contribution to the country's democratic development. He was supported by Dr. Phillips.

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