ELECTIONS IN THE

COMMONWEALTH CARIBBEAN
OVERVIEW

 Electoral Processes
 How Political Parties Prepare for Elections
 Factors that Influence Election Outcomes
 Factors that Influence Voter Participation in
Elections
 Analyzing Election Data
WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?

 A group of people with the

authority to:
 Set goals and make
policies for the good of a
country
 Make laws and regulations
defining how people are to
go about achieving these
goals
 Enforce compliance with
the laws and regulations
Countries in the Commonwealth
Caribbean are democracies,
where the government is
chosen by the citizens in a
general election that should be
free and fair.
ELECTORAL SYSTEMS

First-past- the- Proportional

post representation

Elections
FIRST-PAST-THE-POST
 A country is divided up into constituencies
 A candidate is nominated for election in each
constituency
 The candidate gaining the most votes wins the
election and gets a seat in parliament
 The party that wins the most seats wins the general
election and forms the government
 The opposition comes from the party with the
second highest number of seats
 If no party wins an outright majority there is a hung
parliament
ELECTORAL MAPS: ST LUCIA & BARBADOS
ADVANTAGES OF FIRST-PAST-THE- POST
 Enables direct interaction with
representatives and the people
 Representatives can deal specifically with
the needs of their constituencies
 Allows voters to choose individuals based
on competence rather than just for a party
 Allows for an independent candidate to be
elected in a constituency
 It is simple to use and understand
DISADVANTAGES OF FIRST-PAST-THE-POST
 The party that wins the election may have the
most seats but not the majority of the overall vote
 A candidate may win a seat without getting the
majority of the votes in his/her constituency
 MPs may focus on the interests of their
constituencies rather than on the national interest
 A party may get a substantial number of the
overall vote but have few representatives in
parliament
 It leads to wasted votes

 It can lead to gerrymandering

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
 The whole country is treated as a single
constituency
 A list of candidates is prepared by the political
parties based on the number of seats in
Parliament
 People vote for a party rather than a candidate

 Seats in Parliament are awarded to a party

based on the proportion votes the party
receives
 The candidates on the party list will be given
seats in order of preference
ELECTORAL MAP: GUYANA
ADVANTAGES PROPORTIONAL
REPRESENTATION

 MPs are more likely to focus on national

interests rather than narrow constituency
interests
 Representation in parliament is a true reflection
of the strength of the party
 There are no controversies with
gerrymandering as there are no constituencies
DISADVANTAGES OF PROPORTIONAL
REPRESENTATION
 Facilitates voting along racial or sectarian lines
 Can lead to hung parliaments

 Can lead to the presence of a number of small

parties in parliament, making it difficult to form a
coherent opposition
 There tends to be a preponderance of coalition
governments that can be complex and lead to
tensions
 It is possible that a small party without much
support may hold the balance of power
MANAGING AN ELECTION
MANAGING AN ELECTIONS

A country’s election system is managed

by a government department known as
the electoral office or the electoral and
boundaries commission.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ELECTORAL OFFICE
 Divide the country into constituencies
 Register eligible voters

 Prepare and amend the voters’ lists

 Issue voters’ ID cards

 Register candidates on nomination day

 Prepare and distribute election notices, ballot

papers and ballot boxes
 Supervise the balloting process on election day

 Tally the votes

 Declare results

 Audit candidates’ election expenses

PREPARING FOR ELECTIONS
WHAT DO PARTIES HAVE TO DO?

 Be aware of the important issues

 Raise funds
 Select candidates
 Prepare party manifesto
 Conduct campaigns
 Commission public opinion polls
 Monitor performance
 Monitor the electoral process
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE OUTCOME
OF ELECTIONS
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE OUTCOMES OF
ELECTIONS

 Campaign strategy
 Campaign spending

 Media coverage

 Campaign advertising

 Public opinion polls

 Voter turnout

 Campaign issues

 Voter attitudes to government

FACTORS INFLUENCING VOTER
PARTICIPATION
WHAT MAKES A PERSON DECIDE WHETHER OR
NOT TO VOTE?

 Campaign issues
 Candidates

 Voter attitude towards government

 Voter loyalty to political parties

 Voter apathy

 Education

 Religious beliefs

 Age

 Level of income