Eleanor Finch
General elections in Barbados are constitutionally due every five years to elect members to the House of Assembly. The first past the post system is used, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins a seat in the House. The House of Assembly has 30 members, and the most recent Barbadian general election was held on 19 January 2022.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Frequency of general elections | Every five years |
| Number of members in the House of Assembly | 30 |
| Number of appointed members in the Senate | 21 |
| Number of Senate members chosen by the President | 7 |
| Number of Senate members chosen by the Prime Minister | 12 |
| Number of Senate members chosen by the Leader of the Opposition | 2 |
| Age requirement for contesting in elections | 21 years or older |
| Period of residence in Barbados for eligibility | At least seven years prior to the Qualifying Date |
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What You'll Learn
Elections are held every five years
Elections in Barbados are held every five years to elect members to the House of Assembly. The first-past-the-post system is used, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins a seat in the House. The House of Assembly has 30 members, each elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies.
The Constitution of Barbados states that the Parliament shall stand dissolved no later than every five years from the first sitting of Parliament. After the dissolution of Parliament, the President of Barbados must issue a writ for a general election of members to the House of Assembly.
The most recent general election in Barbados was held on 19 January 2022. This was the 12th national election since independence from the United Kingdom in 1966, the 16th since the institution of universal suffrage in 1950, and the first since Barbados became a republic in 2021. The previous general election was held on 24 May 2018, with the first sitting of the new session of Parliament taking place on 5 June 2018.
To be eligible to contest in the elections, candidates must be citizens of Barbados or Commonwealth citizens over the age of 21 who have resided in Barbados for at least seven years prior to the Qualifying Date.
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The House of Assembly has 30 members
The House of Assembly of Barbados is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Barbados. It has 30 Members of Parliament (MPs), who are directly elected in single-seat constituencies using the simple-majority (or first-past-the-post) system for a term of five years. The House of Assembly sits roughly 40–45 days a year and is presided over by a Speaker.
The genesis of a legislature in Barbados was introduced by Governor Henry Hawley, creating a structure of governance patterned after the Parliament of England. The then unicameral Parliament was originally tasked with establishing a system of laws and was completely under the domination of the island's planter class. The first meeting of the Barbados Assembly was held on 22 June 1639, making it the third oldest legislature in the Americas.
The House of Assembly is the only body from which the Prime Minister of Barbados can be chosen. The President generally acts on the advice of the Prime Minister, and the powers of the Senate have been limited. The Parliament of Barbados is the national legislature of Barbados and is accorded legislative supremacy by Chapter V of the Constitution of Barbados.
The Parliament is bicameral in composition and is formally made up of two houses: an appointed Senate (Upper house) and an elected House of Assembly (Lower house), as well as the President of Barbados, who is indirectly elected by both. The Senate has 21 appointed members: seven chosen by the President, 12 by the Prime Minister, and two by the Leader of the Opposition.
The next general election is due to be held in 2027, but it can be held sooner if the President of Barbados directs.
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First-past-the-post voting is used
In Barbados, elections are constitutionally due every five years. The country uses a first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting system, also known as choose-one or plurality voting. In this system, voters mark one candidate as their favourite or first preference, and the candidate with the most first-preference votes wins the seat, even if they do not have more than half of the votes. This can result in a candidate winning with less than 50% of the vote, as seen in the 2015 Belfast South election, where a candidate won with only 24.5% of the total votes.
The FPTP system tends to favour major parties and can make it difficult for smaller parties to gain representation. This is because the winning party or candidate takes all, leaving the losing parties with no representation at all. Over time, this can lead to a two-party system, as posited by Duverger's Law. However, it is important to note that most countries with FPTP elections have multiparty legislatures, with two larger parties and smaller ones.
The FPTP system can also create a significant number of "safe seats" for larger parties, where the representative is unlikely to change unless there is a dramatic shift in voting behaviour. This was observed in the UK in 2015, where the Conservative Party won 100% of seats in certain areas with less than 60% of the vote. Similarly, in Canada's 2021 elections, the Conservative Party won all the seats in Saskatchewan with only 59% of the provincial vote.
In Barbados, the FPTP system is used to elect members to the House of Assembly, which consists of 30 members elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies. Eligible voters must present their National ID card at the polling station and manually mark their ballot by placing an "X" next to their chosen candidate. The candidate with the most votes wins the seat in the House of Assembly.
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Eligibility requirements for voters
Elections in Barbados are held to choose members to fill elective offices in the House of Assembly. While these general elections do not have fixed dates, they must be called within five years of the opening of parliament following the last election.
Voting in Barbados is voluntary, with registration for elections undertaken by the Election Management Body (EMB). To be eligible to vote, an individual must:
- Be a citizen of Barbados, 18 years of age or older, and have resided in an electoral constituency for at least three months before the Qualifying Date.
- Be a Commonwealth citizen, 18 years of age or older, who has resided legally in Barbados for a period of at least three consecutive years and has resided in an electoral constituency for at least three months before the Qualifying Date.
- Be a non-Commonwealth citizen, 18 years of age or older, who has resided legally in Barbados for a period of at least seven years and has resided in an electoral constituency for at least three months before the Qualifying Date.
At the polling station, eligible voters must present their National ID card to receive a single paper ballot. To cast a vote, the elector must manually mark their ballot by placing a cross ("X") next to the candidate they want to represent them. Any other mark or comment on the paper renders the ballot invalid. Upon completion, the anonymous ballot is placed into a sealed ballot box for later counting.
It is important to note that voting outside of Barbados by the general public is not allowed at the country's various High Commissions, Embassies, and Consulates. However, diplomatic staff may vote according to the Representation of the People's Act.
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Writ issued by the President for a general election
In Barbados, general elections are constitutionally due every five years. The President appoints a member of the House of Assembly as Prime Minister, who they believe is best able to command the confidence of the majority of the House. The House of Assembly has 30 members, elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies. The first-past-the-post system is used for these elections, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins the seat.
The President issues a writ for a general election to take place, which is administered by the Office of the Chief Registering Officer, headed by the Local Commissioner. This office was established in the 1960s to manage Local Government Elections and conduct General Elections.
The Register of Electors is continuously updated by the addition of eligible voters and the removal of those who are deceased or have been absent from Barbados for over five years (excluding foreign service electors). This is overseen by the Chief Registering Officer, who also requires Barbados ID Card holders to notify them of any change of residence within 30 days, as per the Barbados Identity Management (BIM) Act.
The Legislative Council, appointed by the Crown on the Governor's recommendation, initially comprised nine members. The Assembly was an elected body with two representatives from each of the eleven parishes, increasing to twenty-four representatives in 1843. The life of the Assembly was initially two years, extended to three years in 1937, and then to five years in 1951.
The writ for a general election, issued by the President, is a crucial step in the democratic process of Barbados, ensuring that the people's representatives are regularly and fairly elected.
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Frequently asked questions
Every five years.
19 January 2022.
30.
First past the post.
Citizens of Barbados who are resident on the island, and citizens of other countries who have been permitted by the Chief Immigration Officer to remain on the island for at least six months.
