August 18 is Nomination Day

Monday (August 18) is Nomination Day, where persons will have the opportunity to present themselves as candidates for the 2025 General Election. 

Nominations for by-elections in four divisions in the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation will also be held.

The divisions are Chancery Hall, Olympic Gardens, Seivwright Gardens, and Denham Town. 

Speaking with JIS News, Director of Elections, Glasspole Brown, said there will be one nomination centre in each of the 63 constituencies for the parliamentary elections. Centres will open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 2:00 p.m.  

For the by-elections, the nominations start at 12:00 p.m. and close at 2:00 p.m.  

“For the parliamentary elections, potential candidates will have to get their nomination form. Those [candidates] will have to be nominated by 10 members among the constituents who are registered on the voters list. Also, they will have to pay a nomination fee of $15,000,” Mr. Brown informed. 

For the by-election, the nomination fee is $3,000. 

Mr. Brown told JIS News that prior to Nomination Day, the returning officer for the different constituencies will sit with all the potential candidates to work out a schedule and assign each person a time when they are expected to be at the nomination centre. 

“What we seek to do is to have all potential candidates meet with their returning officer prior to Nomination Day. The returning officer will then carry them through all the criteria that are necessary for them to meet, so that they can know before the Nomination Day whether or not they are qualified to run as a candidate,” he pointed out. 

Any person seeking to enter as a candidate to sit in the House of Representatives should be a citizen of Jamaica, be resident in Jamaica for at least 12 months prior to the date of nomination or be a Commonwealth citizen who has resided in Jamaica for at least 12 months prior to the nomination date and must be at least 21 years of age. 

For the by-elections, candidates should be a resident of the division for at least 12 months prior to Election Day and should not be in any contractual agreement with any member of the local authority involving the payment of money or land for their candidacy. 

A candidate will not be eligible to be elected if he/she is under age 18, holds a public office, is a member of the Jamaica Defence Force or has been declared bankrupt.