Some 78 per cent of persons - representing 1.2 million electors - interviewed in a recent Gleaner poll said that they have been enumerated.

The list, recently certified by the Director of Elections as being a good list, is the result of the recent enumeration exercise conducted by the Electoral Office and the number of persons on the current list is put at just under 1.2 million persons.

The poll conducted by Don Anderson and his team on behalf of The Gleaner, found that 78 per cent of those interviewed, representing just over 1.2 million persons, claim that they have been enumerated. The poll was conducted over the period November 26 through to December 3, 1997, and involved interviewing a total of 1000 persons islandwide in all parishes. The sample error was + or - 3.4 per cent.

Mr. Anderson observed that the new voters' list has been a major issue in the run-up to the announcement of the date for election and has continued to be the principal factor in the campaign of the two opposition parties, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the National Democratic Movement (NDM).

Previous polls conducted by the Anderson team for The Gleaner over the past 12 months have pointed to a greater tendency amongst upper income and older persons to be enumerated, Mr. Anderson said. Close to 91 per cent of the more affluent persons in the society say that they have been enumerated, compared to the average of 78 per cent, while the younger persons aged 18 - 24 years recorded the lowest incidence of enumeration.

Q.Have you been enumerated?

Yes: 78.0%

No :21.0%

No response :1.0%

The nearly 1.2 million persons on the new voters' list represents the largest number of persons ever eligible to vote in elections in Jamaica, Mr. Anderson said.