Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Walker

Director of Elections Danville Walker yesterday said all is in place for the upcoming general election.

"We are ready," Walker sought to assure.

He said polling stations, the electronic voter identification system and counting stations are fully prepared.

The general counting centre will be housed on the ninth floor of The Towers on Dominica Drive, New Kingston. And the electronic voter identification system is to be used in some 800 polling stations.

The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) first tested the Electronic Voters' Identification and Ballot Issuing System in two divisions of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation in the June 2003 Local Government Elections.

The pilot project was reportedly successful and was recommended for full-scale implementation islandwide.

In a newspaper advertisement yesterday, the EOJ said it was looking for 500 additional election-day workers in Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Catherine.

Walker explained that the additional workers were needed as reserves.

The Electoral Office is calling for professionals or tertiary-level students to fill the various posts of presiding officer, poll clerk and supervisor on election day.

Walker noted that training for election-day workers is ongoing.

"People are in various stages of training, but we will be ready in time for the election," the EOJ boss said.

Meanwhile, Nancy Anderson, a member of the board of directors for local watchdog Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), says her organisation will be ready for the polls.

Anderson said CAFFE's board has visited all parishes to recruit and train personnel. She was unable to state how many persons have been recruited to date, but noted that the group hopes to register 2,000 volunteers in time for the polls.

On election day, CAFFE's data centre will be at Campion College.

petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com