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In downtown Kingston, under a canopy of party flags and umbrellas, vendors balanced booklists and ballots, selling school supplies while swapping political predictions.

A cluster of vendors animatedly discussed the prime minister's next move, many already decked out in their party's colours. Maxine, a long-time vendor on Orange Street, was clad in bright orange from her cap to her slippers as she belted out her party's campaign song, Blood and Fire.

"Tell Andrew fi call it now, now, now. We ready!" she shouted. "Mi know it soon drop. Any time yuh see him keep prayer meeting, election a go call!"

Without missing a beat, she launched into a chant - the lyrics of Blood and Fire - towards two neighbouring vendors who are supporters of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

Maxine's reference to prayer meeting was a JLP gospel concert, held in Old Harbour, St Catherine, last Sunday. The next general election is due by September, and with Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness holding the date close to his chest, speculations are rife that Jamaicans could head to the polls at the same time children are heading back to school.

Under Jamaica's election laws, a minimum of 21 days must elapse between the calling for an election and the actual election day. Although the official date remains unannounced, the whispers on the street say the election is just around the corner. And with that anticipation, some Jamaicans are preparing not just to vote, but to beat the back-to-school rush before ballots and backpacks collide.

While some parts of downtown danced in green and orange, other vendors were watching shopping patterns shift like campaign banners in the breeze. On Princess Street, Lucy Bernard, who was spotted arranging school bags outside her stall, said she's already noticed a change in customer behaviour.

"Mi see a whole heap a people come shop fi dem pickney things already. Dem wah avoid the madness when election and back-to-school meet up," she told THE WEEKEND STAR. "Anno everybody political."

Still, she brushed off concerns about disruptions with a dismissive flick of the wrist.

"All if them call it September morning, the pickney dem affi stay inside. It's just one day, eno. School nah mash up fi dat. Pandemic never stop election and a back to school fi stop it?" she reasoned.

The last general election was held on September 3, 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the close of polls, the JLP won 49 seats, up from 32 in the 2016 election. The People's National Party won 14 seats, down from 31 previously.

Beside Bernard, another vendor, Skatta, dressed in a faded green cap, scoffed at the thought that election fever might throw things off balance.

"This a Jamaica. Mi have mi daughter bag pack from now, mi cyaan miss di vibes. Politics sweet!" he said.

For him, this season is less about disruption and more about opportunity.

"Mi sell more juice when crowd deh 'bout. Rally time sell off. Mi mek more money when politics hot. So call it, man!" he added.

He seemed entirely unbothered by the potential overlap. In fact, he welcomed it, calling it tradition wrapped in T-shirts and excitement.

"Election always drop 'bout this time yah, man; except the last one. Every four year a di same ting," he said, taping a poster to the wall beside his juice cart. "Mi done prep fi both. Booklist tick. Flag ready."