PNP supporters protest incumbent candidate's visit to polling station

On a street where families count their dead in whispers, grief turned to anger on Election Day as People's National Party (PNP) supporters protested the presence of incumbent Member of Parliament Donovan Williams inside a polling station at the Kingston Technical High School.

Residents, still mourning loved ones lost to violence in the constituency, said the sight of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) representative stirred raw emotions. "Look how many family members we lose! We nuh need fi say nothing else," one man told THE STAR. Another added that a family member was left unable to speak or walk after a recent attack.

Supporters of Williams, however, erupted in joy when he was observed entering the polling station. The Electoral Office of Jamaica's (EOJ) handbook says that election officials and one agent per candidate are allowed inside. A candidate may enter as well, but if his agent is present, he cannot remain for more than five consecutive minutes. The rule is designed to prevent intimidation and ensure the voting process moves smoothly.

THE STAR witnessed Williams enter once. However, residents alleged that he stayed beyond the five-minute limit. "Him in deh more than five minutes," one supporter argued. "That law is nonsense, because what reason you would have to be in there? To rattle people and mek dem leave before voting."

There was also confusion over terminology. One voter asked, "What is a polling station? One of the classrooms or the whole compound?" The EOJ defines a polling station as the specific room where ballots are cast, not the entire school or polling division.

For many, however, the frustration ran deeper than technicalities. "At the end of the day, if yuh come and yuh win fair and square, you're okay," said one resident.

Kingston Central has long been one of Jamaica's most violent constituencies, recording dozens of murders annually. Repeated states of emergency have been imposed in sections of the division over the past decade in attempts to quell gang violence. Many of those present at the polling station unleashed their anger at what they perceive as this broader sense of neglect. "The whole community deh pan lockdown fi bout four years straight," one man told THE STAR.

That sense of being under siege was heightened just last month when gunmen opened fire on Williams' campaign team in Southside. No injuries were reported. The political ombudsman and party officials appealed for calm, stressing that the incident was not politically motivated, but linked to gang rivalry. Residents say it reflects the violence that overshadows daily life in Kingston Central.

When approached by THE STAR for comment on the polling station allegations, Williams declined to respond.