eoj.com.jm Voter ID Registration : Electoral Commission of Jamaica

Organization : Electoral Commission of Jamaica
Facility : Voter ID Card Registration
Country : Jamaica

Voter ID Registration : https://ecj.com.jm/
Official Website : http://www.eoj.com.jm/

EOJ Voter ID Registration

The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) publishes two voters’ list each year. One list is published on May 31 and the other six months later on November 30.

Related : Electoral Commission of Jamaica Elector Registration System : www.electionin.org/495.html

Registration takes place on a continuous basis and persons desirous of being added to the list can simply visit their ECJ Constituency Office and apply.

Who can register?

Every Jamaican citizen who possesses the following qualifications is entitled to register to vote;
** Is a Jamaican citizen of eighteen years or over and resident in Jamaica or
** Is a commonwealth citizen who is eighteen years of age or older and who is resident in Jamaica at the date of registration and who has been resident for at least twelve months prior to the date of registration.
** Is not subjected to any legal incapacity to vote such as being of an unsound mind, convicted or under a suspended sentence.

Registration Process

Step 1 : Visit Constituency Office
Visit the EOJ office preferably in your constituency. Constituency offices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays to Thursdays and 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. If you have just turned 18, you may be asked to show proof of age, so bring your birth certificate with you.

Step 2 : Personal Data Collected
At the office, the registration clerk will assist you in filling out Registration Record Card also known as the RRC. This form is used to record the elector’s demographic information, photograph, and fingerprints.

Step 3 : Residence Verification*
After you have filled out the application, EOJ representatives and scrutineers (political party representatives) will visit your residence at a later date to verify the address you gave. The registration process is not complete until your residence has been verified.

Step 4 : Await Processing
Once your address has been verified, your application is processed. Your information is verified for accuracy and your fingerprints are cross matched to ensure there are no duplications.

Step 5 : ID Card Issued
When the registration process is complete, your name is added to the voters’ list and your ID card will be issued, but only after the voters list has been published. Depending on when you register, this may be May 31 or November 30. Your voters’ ID is used as a de facto national ID (and in some cases internationally) accepted. Be sure to take it with you on Election Day.

* The law requires that registration take into account the place where you are ‘normally resident’.

This means the place where you call home and it can be proven that you live there. If you have more than one residence, you will need to indicate the one in the constituency you prefer to vote.

Why Register to Vote?

Your vote is your voice. For your voice to be heard, you must register to vote. It is your right and your responsibility. Our elected officials determine much concerning our quality of life. Don’t let someone else choose your elected officials for you. The biggest election issues often directly effect the youth and will impact life for years to come. The only way democracy works is if citizens, young and old, are active participants. If you haven’t already, here are a few more reasons why you should register to secure your right to vote.

** Voting gives you a say on important issues that affect you – everything from roads, health care, education and taxes. You may think you don’t want to vote now, but if an issue comes up that you want to have your say on, if you’re registered you’ll have the chance to vote on it.

** If you don’t register, you can’t vote! – It’s as simple as that. To vote in any elections, your name MUST be on the voters’ list. Registration is easy – simply visit your nearest Constituency Office and have your personal data taken. Click here for more details. (Registration Procedures)

** Elections give you a chance to choose your leadership and ruling political parties. It gives you a say on who represents you in your parish council and at the constituency level. One of the candidates will be selected to represent you whether you vote or not, so if you’re registered, you’ll have the chance to have a say on who represents you by voting. Some of us are quick to complain when they disagree with politicians, but if you don’t register and don’t vote, nothing will change. Make sure you do your part when next an election is called.

** You may think voting changes nothing, but in fact it is one of the most important means of making a difference. Remember, a government only has power because people vote for it. If you don’t vote, you’re giving control over your life to those who actually go out and vote.

** Some elections are won by a handful of votes – that means your vote and your friends’ votes could change the result of an entire election!

** Elections can be called at any time and at short notice. If you’re not registered you won’t be able to vote! So don’t wait until its too late – register today and you can definitely have your say.

** Across the world people have died fighting for the right to vote and to be part of a democracy. In South Africa, not until the end of apartheid in 1994 were black people able to vote for the first time. In was only as recent as 2005, that women in Kuwait finally secured the right to vote and run for office! Today, many people across the world are still denied the right to vote.

** And here’s another plus! When you register to vote, you will get a Voter’s ID card that is used as a de facto national ID, and is even accepted internationally in some cases. Many local banks, financial and lending institutions rely on our ID Cards to verify your identity.