"The outer band is eight o'clock, but we hope to have the result ready before then," Director of Elections Orrette Fisher told The Gleaner yesterday, as he completed preparations for the second by-election since he replaced Danville Walker as the top man at the EOJ.

After the West Portland by-election in March, Fisher and his team believe they have worked out the kinks and things should flow smoothly today.

"At the moment, it is all systems go. My only concern is that it will rain, because there are a number of fordings, and so on, in the constituency. But, whatever happens, we will try to find a way around it," Fisher said.

Electronic system

The EOJ will be using the electronic voter-identification system at all 99 polling stations. Fisher said all the equipment had been tested and prepared.

"All the workers have been trained. We have met with them and given them their briefing, so they are ready to be deployed," Fisher told The Gleaner minutes before meeting with the election-day workers.

"The police have assured us that they will be out in full force as they have done in past elections and, based on that, we expect everything to be fine," he added.

In the meantime, the election watchdog group, Citizens Action For Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), says it will have monitors at most of the polling stations today.

"There are 99 polling stations and I think we have about 90 volunteers who will be stationary, with five teams roaming the constituency," Nancy Anderson, CAFFE director, told The Gleaner.

The polls open at seven this morning and close at five in the afternoon.

You can get continuous reports on election-day activities in North East St Catherine by logging on to www.go-jamaica.com.

arthur.Hall@gleanerjm.com