The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) is undertaking major upgrades to its technology infrastructure as part of its thrust toward digital transformation, announced by the Prime Minister earlier this year.

This was confirmed in a release Monday.

The ECJ said it recently completed several improvements, including the installation of its upgraded biometric identification system.

Additionally, it says the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) is used to process large-scale biometric data such as performing a one-to-many search of electors’ fingerprints against the fingerprints in a current database to detect matches and prevent duplication.

The Commission says, through its Standing Committee on Technology and Development, they have identified areas of improvement for the electoral system, including reinforcing the organization’s cybersecurity framework and upgrading hardware and software for the maintenance of the nation’s electoral database.

It has also entered into an agreement with suppliers of a modern compact hand-held device to electronically identify electors at polling stations, adding that the electronic hand-held device (EHD) is an easy-to-use, high-performance android-based equipment that provides an efficient and reliable method of authenticating electors’ identities on election day.

Among its functionalities, the software has the capability to accurately identify and verify electors as well as generate statistical data and reports.

Overall, the ECJ has invested approximately $684.215 million over the past three years to upgrade its technology infrastructure for greater security and efficiency.

Meanwhile, the commission says it is exploring opportunities to offer online transactions for some of its services, including voter pre-registration and transfer requests.

More updates on this transformation are to come.