Hartley Neita, Gleaner Writer

1980: Jamaica Labour Party leader Edward Seaga is held aloft at centre by supporters who carry him shoulder high to the platform at the 'Deliverance Mass Rally' in pouring rain, at South Parade, downtown Kingston.

In the first general elections held under Universal Adult Suffrage in 1944, a deposit of £50 had to be made on behalf of each candidate. This was forfeited if the candidate polled less than one-eighth of the total number of votes cast in the constituency, or died before the close of the poll, or withdrew, except consequent upon circumstances over which he had no control and which he had no cause to anticipate. Note the use of the word 'he' and not 'she'!

Another of the rules introduced then was that election employees were disqualified from voting except their employment was legal, such as returning officers and official agents of candidates such as clerks andstenographers employed to candidates. However, no candidate could employ more than one person for each 500 electors in a constituency.

An interesting rule was that it was illegal to let or lend or employ, for the purpose of conveying electors to or from the polling station, any vehicle or animal. So too was the person who enjoyed the pleasure of being conveyed by the vehicle or the animal.

Candidates were forbidden to use as a committee room any place where liquor or food or drink was sold, or any elementary school. Schoolteachers were also warned that they could be found guilty of professional misconduct if they were found teaching party politics to children. And, candidates were prohibited from treating prospective voters to drinks and other like refreshments between nomination day and election day.