JAMAICA · ELECTIONS
Key Facts
- The ask The Gleaner, a Jamaican daily, reports the election office wants about US$57 million (J$9 billion) for a full voter check.
- The timing Half would be requested for the 2027-28 budget year and the rest for 2028-29.
- The list The Gleaner says the list holds 2,090,343 electors, a net fall of 1,279 since December 2025.
- The status No funding decision from government has been made public.
- Stand As of Saturday 14 November 2026, 11:30 GMT
The Gleaner, a Jamaican daily newspaper, reports that the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) will again ask government to pay for a full reverification of the voters list next year. The EOJ is the state body that keeps the list and runs elections, and the report is dated Saturday 14 November 2026.
Director of Elections Glasspole Brown put the cost at J$9 billion (about US$57 million), The Gleaner says. The conversion uses about J$159 to the US dollar, the central bank’s (Bank of Jamaica) rate of J$159.07 on 10 November 2026, as published by the Jamaica Observer, a Jamaican daily.
In Plain English
Reverification means checking every name on the voters list, to remove people who have died or moved abroad. Everald Warmington, a member of Parliament (MP), says a partial check was last done more than 15 years ago.
What Was Reported
According to The Gleaner, the EOJ would ask for half of the money in the 2027-28 budget year and the rest in 2028-29. The paper says Parliament’s Human Resources and Social Development Committee, a parliamentary panel, met earlier in the week to discuss the plan.
Committee chairman Duane Smith told the meeting that the cleanup is costly but necessary, The Gleaner reports. He estimated that 30 to 40 per cent of names on the list belong to people who have died or migrated, and said post-election turnout statistics are therefore not accurate.
The committee is considering five private members’ motions (proposals from MPs outside the cabinet) by Everald Warmington, a member of the House of Representatives for St Catherine South Western, to amend the Representation of the People Act, the law that governs Jamaica’s elections. Warmington urged immediate funding of a full reverification and said a partial one was last done more than 15 years ago, according to the report.
Why It Matters
The voters list decides who can vote and how turnout is measured. Smith’s 30 to 40 per cent figure is his own estimate, and in our analysis a list padded with dead or departed names would make published turnout look lower than it is.
The Gleaner reports that 15,161 electors were removed from the list published on 31 May 2026 and 13,882 were added. That leaves 2,090,343 names, a net fall of 1,279 from 2,091,622 on the December 2025 list.
What Is Not Known
No official statement from the EOJ or the Finance Ministry was found, so the figures rest on The Gleaner’s account alone. The government has not said whether it will fund the request.
Smith’s 30 to 40 per cent figure has not been checked against any official count. The date of the committee’s hearing with the EOJ has not been confirmed.
What to Watch
The next voters list is due at the end of November 2026, according to The Gleaner, and will show whether the net fall continues. The committee also plans to invite the EOJ to present submissions, with the date not confirmed.
Rhoda Crawford, a member of the House of Representatives for Manchester Central, urged the committee to reissue its call for public submissions, which drew no response earlier. The committee is also weighing a one-hour extension of voting, now 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What It Means for You
For Jamaican voters and the parties that compete for their votes, a cleaner list would make turnout figures more reliable. For taxpayers, the request is about US$57 million over two budget years if approved.
Background on who holds power in Jamaica is in our guide to Jamaica’s key political players. For the wider picture, see Jamaica explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much would the voters list cleanup cost?
The Gleaner reported on 14 November 2026 that Director of Elections Glasspole Brown put it at J$9 billion, about US$57 million at about J$159 to the US dollar (Bank of Jamaica rate of 10 November). Half would be sought in 2027-28 and half in 2028-29.
How many voters are on Jamaica’s list?
According to The Gleaner, the voters list now has 2,090,343 electors. That is a net fall of 1,279 from 2,091,622 on the December 2025 list.
Has the government agreed to pay?
No decision has been reported. The Gleaner’s report does not say whether government will fund the request, and no official statement from the election office or the Finance Ministry was found.
Sources: The Gleaner, “Push to purge: EOJ to seek $9 billion for voter reverification, MPs call for clean list”, Edmond Campbell, 14 November 2026; Jamaica Observer, daily forex report (Bank of Jamaica rate J$159.07), 10 November 2026.
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