EOJ takes issue with PNP’s integrity lamp comment
Published:Wednesday | August 27, 2025 | 12:08 AM
The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), the sole body with responsibility to conduct general elections in Jamaica, has dismissed information circulating in the media regarding the verification of voter identification cards at polling stations using special lamps in the September 3 national polls.
In a news release yesterday, the ECJ said legislation stipulates that only specified equipment is allowed within the vicinity of polling stations and under the control of the presiding officer.
The electoral body has made it clear that only the presiding officer appointed by the Electoral Office of Jamaica is authorised to verify voter identification cards. It says no other person, including indoor agents, has the authority to carry out this verification.
In addition, the commission said no integrity lamp outside of the official equipment issued by the EOJ would be used in the polling station during the verification process.
The EOJ is reminding all registered political parties of the laws that govern the procedures that apply to operations at polling stations.
People’s National Party (PNP) General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell declared during a political rally in Mandeville, Manchester, on Sunday that the party has purchased integrity lamps that would be distributed to “every single constituency”.
“We have bought integrity lamps for every single constituency so that we are going to train our indoor agents to take your integrity lamps, look pon di voter ID, [and] look fi di security mark,” he said.
At the same time, the EOJ is urging electors who have not yet collected their renewed voter ID cards to do so before election day.