Eligibility Exception:
insanity, imprisonment, death sentence
Right Vote Foreign Res:
Commonwealth citizens can vote with 3 year residency requirements
Election Management & Enforcement
Nameof EMB:
Electoral & Boundaries Commission
Independent EMB:
Yes
EMBNominations:
5 members selected by the Governor-general, on recommendation by the Prime Minister. Expert based membership.
EMBTenure:
5 years
Who Runs Election:
Election Management Body
Nameof Elect Enforcement Body:
Supreme Court
Candidacy & Campaign Rules
Electoral System & Organisation
Elect System Main Election:
Plurality
Main Election Type:
General
Main Election Cycle:
5
Referenda_Law:
/
Referenda_Binding:
/
Vote IDRequired:
ID check compulsory
Polling Card:
Polling card sent but not compulsory
National Holiday Elect Day:
Never
Districting Source:
Other Independent Body
Districting Flexibility:
Constituencies are delimited by the Electoral and Boundaries Commission. The Commission submits its report to both Houses of Parliament and once approved by them it is forwarded to the Governor General, who gives final legal effect by making an order for the acceptance of the review of the boundaries. The Commission consists of a Chairman, a deputy Chairman and three other members. The Chairman and two other members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Governor-General, acting on the recommendation of the Prime Minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, by instrument under the Public Seal, and the deputy Chairman and one other member shall be appointed by the Governor-General, acting on the recommendation of the Leader of the Opposition after consultation with the Prime Minister, by instrument under the Public Seal.
Polling Station
Average Voterby Polling Station:
812
Normal Opening Time Poll Station:
600
Normal Closing Time Poll Station:
18:00
Polling Station Numbers:
315
Listof Polling Station Buildings:
Schools, Churches, Learning Centres, Sports Complex, Sports Club, Worship Centre, : The Learning Centre, Chalky Mount Wesleyan Holiness Church, Emmerton Community Centre, Caribbean Meteorological Institute,
Accessibility Requirement:
No information found although Barbados is party to the UNCPD
Box Feeding System:
Voter
Count Locallyor Centrally:
centrally
Manualor Automatic Count:
manual
Nature Counting Personnel:
The independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission oversees elections in Barbados in a professional manner. Its five commissioners, chosen on the basis of expertise, are selected by the prime minister and the opposition for a maximum term of five years. All ballot boxes are taken to a central place in each constituency where counting takes place. Each ballot box is emptied, the papers mixed up and the votes counted by teams of helpers. This is done in the presence of the candidates.
Ballot Paper
Ballot Type:
Paper
Singleor Multi Paper Ballot:
Single
Max Numberof Votesper Ballot:
1
Ballot Paper Type Description:
Electors vote by putting a cross on the ballot form against the name of the candidate they want to represent them and then placing the ballot paper in a sealed box.
Orderof Candidatesor Parties:
alphabetical
Remote Voting
Temporal Remote Voting:
If conditions met
Geographical Remote Voting:
If conditions met
Personal Remote Voting:
No
Time Temporal Remote:
1
Remote Voting List:
Diplomatic staff and their immediate families only.
Mobile Polling Stations:
No
Special Needs
Provision First Time Voters:
Barbados Election Basics on Election Centre Website
Provision Blind Voters:
Second Schedule, section 31 states: (1) Where a voter makes an application to the presiding officer to be allowed on the ground of blindness or other physical cause to vote with the assistance of another person by whom he is accompanied (in these rules referred to as “the companion”), the presiding officer shall require the voter to declare orally whether he is so incapacitated by his blindness or otherwise as to be unable to vote without assistance. (2) Where the presiding officer is satisfied that the voter is so incapacitated and is also satisfied by a written declaration made by the companion (in these rules referred to as “the declaration made by the companion of a blind or incapacitated voter”) that the companion is a qualified person within the meaning of this rule and has not previously assisted more than one blind or incapacitated person to vote at the election, the presiding officer shall grant the application, and thereupon anything which is by these rules required to be done to, or by, the said voter in connection with the giving of his vote may be done to, or with the assistance of, the companion. (3) For the purposes of this rule, a person shall be qualified to be a “companion” if that person has attained the age of 18 years and is selected by any blind or incapacitated voter to assist that voter in casting his or her vote. (4) The name and number in the register of electors of every voter whose vote is given in accordance with this rule and the name and address of the companion shall be entered on a list (in these rules referred to as “the list of blind or incapacitated voters assisted by companions”)…
Provision Deaf Voters:
Second Schedule, section 31 states: (1) Where a voter makes an application to the presiding officer to be allowed on the ground of blindness or other physical cause to vote with the assistance of another person by whom he is accompanied (in these rules referred to as “the companion”), the presiding officer shall require the voter to declare orally whether he is so incapacitated by his blindness or otherwise as to be unable to vote without assistance. (2) Where the presiding officer is satisfied that the voter is so incapacitated and is also satisfied by a written declaration made by the companion (in these rules referred to as “the declaration made by the companion of a blind or incapacitated voter”) that the companion is a qualified person within the meaning of this rule and has not previously assisted more than one blind or incapacitated person to vote at the election, the presiding officer shall grant the application, and thereupon anything which is by these rules required to be done to, or by, the said voter in connection with the giving of his vote may be done to, or with the assistance of, the companion. (3) For the purposes of this rule, a person shall be qualified to be a “companion” if that person has attained the age of 18 years and is selected by any blind or incapacitated voter to assist that voter in casting his or her vote. (4) The name and number in the register of electors of every voter whose vote is given in accordance with this rule and the name and address of the companion shall be entered on a list (in these rules referred to as “the list of blind or incapacitated voters assisted by companions”)…
Provision Motor Handicap Voters:
Second Schedule, section 31 states: (1) Where a voter makes an application to the presiding officer to be allowed on the ground of blindness or other physical cause to vote with the assistance of another person by whom he is accompanied (in these rules referred to as “the companion”), the presiding officer shall require the voter to declare orally whether he is so incapacitated by his blindness or otherwise as to be unable to vote without assistance. (2) Where the presiding officer is satisfied that the voter is so incapacitated and is also satisfied by a written declaration made by the companion (in these rules referred to as “the declaration made by the companion of a blind or incapacitated voter”) that the companion is a qualified person within the meaning of this rule and has not previously assisted more than one blind or incapacitated person to vote at the election, the presiding officer shall grant the application, and thereupon anything which is by these rules required to be done to, or by, the said voter in connection with the giving of his vote may be done to, or with the assistance of, the companion. (3) For the purposes of this rule, a person shall be qualified to be a “companion” if that person has attained the age of 18 years and is selected by any blind or incapacitated voter to assist that voter in casting his or her vote. (4) The name and number in the register of electors of every voter whose vote is given in accordance with this rule and the name and address of the companion shall be entered on a list (in these rules referred to as “the list of blind or incapacitated voters assisted by companions”)…
Targeted Initiatives
History Major Changes:
The country's current electoral law was passed on June 1, 1971.
Recent Major Changes:
The country's electoral law was last ammended on September 1, 1990.