As most pundits predicted, the results of last week’s general elections held in Jamaica were very close. Victory went, and congratulations go, to the Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) for defeating the People’s National Party by 35 to 28 seats. JLP leader Andrew Holness made history by being the first JLP leader to lead the party to a third consecutive victory.
Although time did not come for the PNP as their campaign slogan “Time Come” predicted, that party, led by Mark Golding, ran a very good campaign to double its seats in the Jamaican Parliament from 14 to 28. They also lost four seats—in Kingston, St. Ann, Manchester, and Trelawny—by extremely close margins which, if they had won, would have secured them the upset victory they so badly sought.
Golding inherited an extremely splintered party with several rivaling groups in 2020. Some pundits were of the opinion Golding would fail in unifying the party to again be a force in Jamaican politics—one capable of defeating the governing JLP anytime soon. But by 2023, he had molded the party into a formidable opposition to the JLP government. In the local government elections in February 2024, the PNP narrowly defeated the JLP in control of the nation’s municipal councils.
Having restored the PNP’s relevance as a major political force, Golding mobilized his party into general election campaign mode. He traveled the country announcing candidates in constituencies with much publicity while making himself more well-known to voters.
Unlike previous election campaigns in 2016 and 2020, the PNP conducted a very effective campaign after Holness announced the general election date in mid-August. It released a very impressive manifesto; performed credibly in the three political debates; produced and placed very creative TV ads; and was consistent in its message of removing corruption from public office and improving the standard of living for most Jamaicans based on an appealing tax policy.
Nonetheless, despite Golding’s efforts, the election results indicate the majority of voters remain confident in the Holness administration and are willing to trust them with the reins of government for another term.
But one cannot help wondering what the outcome of the elections would be were it not for persistent voter apathy. While polls suggested a fairly strong turnout averaging 55%, according to Jamaica’s Electoral Office, voter turnout was a paltry 39.5%.
Such a low voter turnout robs the JLP of a strong mandate to govern and robs the PNP of a stronger chance to be elected. Indications are turnout was worst among voters under thirty, averaging just 21%.
The political parties and civil society must take serious efforts to ensure persistent voter apathy is reversed.
Following last week’s election, a former Jamaican director of elections opined the voters list was inflated and instead of some 2 million voters, it should be more like 1.5 million once deceased voters and voters who migrated were eliminated. If this is true, the Electoral Office has an immediate task of revising the existing voter list to ensure it’s not inflated, but accurate.
It will be a definite challenge to improve voter turnout in Jamaica, but for democracy to prevail and voters to be given every opportunity to vote in a convenient manner, the challenge must be met. Steps to improve turnout will require institutional and electoral reforms, civic engagement, and rebuilding voters’ trust.
Improving institutional and electoral reforms necessitates modernizing voter registration, making it automatic or continuous using birth records, tax IDs, or national IDs. Civil society, churches, and community groups can organize outreach to register and mobilize citizens.
There is a clear need to expand voting options by, for example, introducing early voting, mobile voting stations, or absentee/mail-in ballots for the elderly, disabled, and overseas Jamaicans who are registered voters.
Election Day voting needs to be more convenient by extending voting hours, providing more polling stations, and improving accessibility in rural areas.
The pilot electronic voting systems need to be expanded and perfected to make the voting process faster and less intimidating for younger, tech-savvy voters and voters with limited time to spend at a polling station.
With such very low turnout among the youth, it implies a need to improve youth civic education and engagement. This should involve integrating civic education in schools so that voting is seen as a duty from an early age.
Attempts should be made to use media, music, sports, and cultural icons to promote voting as relevant to young people’s future.
Finally, political trust must be generated among voters. Voters often abstain because they feel politicians “promise but don’t deliver.” Mechanisms for tracking campaign promises and holding leaders accountable could restore confidence. Also, a stringent effort is needed to strengthen enforcement against vote-buying, voter intimidation, and suppression.
Turnout will only improve if people feel their vote makes a difference. Convenience helps, but trust in governance is the deeper issue. Without addressing cynicism, no procedural reform will be enough.
