Confusion reigned at certain Corporate Area polling divisions yesterday as members of the police force who turned out in their numbers, had to wait hours before they could cast their ballots.

Voting was scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m., but at some polling stations ballots were not cast until after 11 a.m.

The process was also marred by the late arrival of ballots and absence of some electors' names from the list.

By contrast, the process went smoothly at Up Park Camp where voting started on time. The soldiers' names were checked on the voters list by Major the Rev. Sirrano Kitson to facilitate the process before they entered the polling station. They voted by secret ballot behind a screen inside the polling station.

However, polling got off to a late start at 79 East Street in Kingston where policemen voted, though by 1:00 p.m. some problems appeared to have been addressed.

The most affected polling divisions were those at the Half-Way Tree Police Station, where voting did not begin until shortly before noon. The room which housed the two polling divisions was congested, with electors in lines leading out into the station yard.

There was open voting inside the polling station. At one stage, there were no ballots for some lawmen to vote. The names of others could not be found on the list.

When asked to comment on the problems being experienced by the policemen, Returning Officer Miss Uriel Williams, said: "I don't know what is happening, I am short of ballots and I have been calling the Electoral Office."

The lawmen complained bitterly about the poor processing by the polling clerks. One poll clerk told a policeman his name was not on the list and the policeman insisted on searching for himself, only to find his name on the first page. One irate policeman said, "Me deh ya three hours now and caan vote, a foolishness this."

Identity

In the presence of members of the press, the lawmen cast their ballots without even being asked, by election workers, for an identification card or being asked questions to verify their identify. Each person gave their names. If the names were found on the list, they were then given a ballot to vote. The ballots were put in sealed envelopes and handed to the polling clerks, who in turn placed them in an unlocked ballot box.

At Police Mobile Reserve, the proceedings appeared disorganised. Voting started after 10:00 a.m. Electors' names could not be found and persons were not sure where to vote. Some policemen who became frustrated said, despite the problem, they were not leaving until they had cast their ballots.

People's National Party (PNP) candidate for South East St. Andrew Easton Douglas and the party's Colonel Leslie Lloyd were observed on the compound and at one stage Mr. Douglas was busy inside the polling station, posting a notice on the wall. The notice indicated where persons from the respective constituencies should vote. When asked his purpose at the station, Mr. Douglas said that he was just "trying to assist".

The Returning Officer, Cecile Williams, was at a loss for words when The Gleaner asked her about the problems at the polling station. She referred the press to a Regional Officer of the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), Raymond Bowie, who was present. Mr. Bowie, for his part, said: "No comment".