CABINET ON Monday approved legislation to standardise electronic fingerprint identification in parliamentary and local government elections throughout the island.According to Information Minister Senator Burchell Whiteman, bills have been drafted to amend the Representation of the People Act, the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) Act and the Parish Council Act.
The amendments will allow the Electronic Voter Identification and Ballot Issuing System (ABIS) in elections, the information minister told journalists during the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House .
In June 2003, the ABIS system was selected and tested in two KSAC electoral divisions during the local government elections.
The pilot was considered successful, and the Electoral Advisory Committee, in a subsequent report to Parliament, recommended that the electronic system be implemented islandwide.
Minister Whiteman said that the current provisions for the manual identification of voters would be retained for use in the event of machinery failure.
