Electoral Commission of Jamaica
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | December 1, 2006 |
| Preceding agency |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of Jamaica |
| Headquarters | Kingston |
| Agency executives |
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| Website | ecj |
 |
|---|
 Jamaica portal |
The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) is the independent statutory agency of the Government of Jamaica responsible for organising, conducting and supervising elections, by-elections and referendums.[2]
Objective of the Electoral Commission
[edit]The Electoral Commission (Interim) Act (2006)[3] defines the objective of the Electoral Commission as:
"to safeguard the democratic foundations of Jamaica by enabling eligible electors to elect, through free and fair elections, their representatives to govern Jamaica."
Functions of the Electoral Commission
[edit]The functions of the Electoral Commission are defined by law and in summary are
- Establish policies for governing the registration of electors
- Conduct general elections, local government elections, by-elections or referendums
- Compile and maintain the register of eligible electors
- Verify the identity of eligible electors
- Approve political parties eligible to receive state funding
- administer electoral funding and financial disclosure requirements
- monitor election expenditure by candidates or their official agents
- review the number of constituencies and boundaries
- determine polling divisions within constituencies
History
[edit]Formation of the Electoral Commission
[edit]In October 2006, the House of Representatives and the Senate passed the Electoral Commission (Interim) Act 2006, which established the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ). The Commission replaced the Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC) that had been established by the Representation of the People Act 1979[4][5]
The day-to-day operations of the ECJ are carried out through the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) which is a public government agency established in 1943 to administer the holding of Parliamentary and Local Government Elections.
The holding of Parliamentary and Local Government Elections and all activities pertinent to these elections are regulated by the Representation of People Act and the Local Governance Act.
Previous Electoral Advisory Committee
[edit]The Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC) was established in 1979, dissolved in 2006 and replaced by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ). Errol Miller was the last Chairman of the EAC, from December 2000 to December 2006, and the first Chairman of the ECJ from December 2006 to December 2012.
Membership
[edit]Membership of the Electoral Commission is governed by the Electoral Commission (Interim) Act (2006).[3] The commission has nine members appointed by the Governor-General, as follows:
- Four Nominated Commissioners, two nominated the Prime Minister and two nominated by the Leader of the Opposition
- Four Selected Commissioners jointly agreed upon by both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
- The eight Commissioners unanimously nominate the Director of Elections
- The Commissioners also nominate one their number to be Chairman of the Commission
Selected Commissioners and the Director of Elections are appointed for a period of seven years, while Nominated Commissioners serve for four years.[6] The Director of Elections and the Selected Commissioners are disqualified by law to vote in any General or Local Government Elections or referendums.
List of Electoral Commissioners
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2020) |
Current Commissioners
[edit]| Name | Role | Since | Term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hon. Earl Jarrett | Chairman [8] | March 5, 2013 | February 28, 2027 |
| Hon. Karl Harrison | Selected Commissioner | March 1, 2014 | February 28, 2021 |
| Prof. Alvin G. Wint | Selected Commissioner | March 1, 2014 | February 28, 2021 |
| Hon. Zaila McCalla | Selected Commissioner [9] | January 1, 2020 | December 31, 2027 |
| GlassPole Brown | Director of Elections | April 16, 2018 | April 15, 2025 |
| Hon. Thomas Tavares-Finson | Nominated Commissioner (JLP) | June 1, 2005 | May 31, 2021 |
| Wensworth Skeffery | Nominated Commissioner (PNP) | January 1, 2018 | December 31, 2022 |
| Dr. Aundre Franklin | Nominated Commissioner (JLP) | December 1, 2010 | November 30, 2022 |
| Julian J. Robinson | Nominated Commissioner (PNP) | July 1, 2017 | June 30, 2021 |
Former commissioners
[edit]| Name | Role | Since | Term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hon. Dorothy Pine-McLarty | Selected Commissioner | December 18, 2000 | December 31, 2019 |
| Dr. Herbert Thompson | Selected Commissioner | 2000 | 2013 |
| Hon. Clarence Walker | Selected Commissioner | 2006 | 2014 |
| Prof. Hon. Errol Miller | Selected Commissioner | November 1, 2006 | December 31, 2012 |
| Hon. Danville Walker | Director of Elections | 1997 | 2008 |
| Orrete Fisher | Director of Elections | November 1, 2008 | March 2018 |
| Hon. Karl Samuda | Nominated Commissioner (JLP) | November 1, 2006 | 2010 |
| Dr. D. K. Duncan | Nominated Commissioner (PNP) | December 1, 2010 | December 31, 2014 |
| Donald Buchanan | Nominated Commissioner (PNP) | November 1, 2006 | 2010 |
| Paul Burke | Nominated Commissioner (PNP) | March 2015 | June 30, 2017 |
| Linton Walters | Nominated Commissioner (PNP) | 2002 | 2008 |
| Peter Bunting | Nominated Commissioner (PNP) | 2008 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Earl Jarrett selected as ECJ chairman". Jamaica Gleaner. June 2, 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- ^ "Electoral Commission of Jamaica". Electoral Commission of Jamaica. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- ^ a b "Electoral Commission (Interim) Act". Ministry of Justice (Jamaica). Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- ^ "Representation of the People Act 1979". Ministry of Justice (Jamaica). Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- ^ "Political Database of the Americas". Georgetown University. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- ^ Daraine Luton (September 14, 2015). "ECJ wants staggering of appointment of the selected commissioners". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
- ^ "Members of the Electoral Commission". Electoral Commission of Jamaica. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
- ^ "Earl Jarrett appointed Chairman of Electoral Commission of Jamaica". LoopJamaica. June 3, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
- ^ "Zaila McCalla Appointed ECJ Commissioner". Electoral Commission of Jamaica. February 24, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.