Antigua and Barbuda
- Boundary Delimitation
- Direct Democracy
- Electoral Management
- Electoral Systems
- Legislative Framework
- Media and Elections
- Parties and Candidates
- Vote Counting
- Voter Education
- Voting Operations
- Voter Registration
Boundary Delimitation
BD01 Are constituencies delimited for election purposes?
a. Yes
Comments: For the purpose of the election of members of the House, Antigua and Barbuda shall be divided into such number of constituencies, at least one of which shall be within Barbuda, having such boundaries as may be provided for by an order made by the Governor-General, upon approval by the Parliament.
Source: Constitution 62 and 65.
Last updated: 2006-05-30 17:09:48 UTC
BD03 On what criteria are the boundaries drawn?
g. Other
Comments: In reviewing the number, and the boundaries, of the constituencies and making its report thereon, a Constituencies Boundaries Commission shall be guided by such general principles as may be prescribed by Parliament.
Source: Constitution 64:3.
Last updated: 2006-05-30 17:09:48 UTC
BD05 The body responsible for drawing the boundaries is:
c. Boundary Commission
Comments: The Constituencies Boundaries Commission for Antigua and Barbuda is appointed from time to time to review the number, and the boundaries, of the constituencies. Is composed of four members, including a chair person, all appointed by Governor-General.
Source: Constitution 63:1.
Last updated: 2006-05-30 17:09:48 UTC
Direct Democracy
DD01 Please provide information about the person completing the questionnaire.
Last updated: 2006-03-18 02:49:54 UTC
DD02 Which forms of direct democracy, if any, are currently possible at the national level?
Please check the glossary for the definition of the following terms:
a. Mandatory referendum
Source: Constitution, Chapter IV, Part 2, Section 47, subsection 5
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:01:01 UTC
DD03 What is the legal basis for mandatory referendums at the national level?
a. Constitutional
Source: Constitution, Chapter IV, Part 2, Section 47, subsection 5
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:02:18 UTC
DD04 What is the legal basis for optional referendums at the national level?
e. Not applicable
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:02:48 UTC
DD05 What is the legal basis for citizens' initiatives at the national level?
e. Not applicable
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:03:08 UTC
DD06 What is the legal basis for agenda initiatives at the national level?
e. Not applicable
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:03:35 UTC
DD07 What is the legal basis for recalls at the national level?
e. Not applicable
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:04:30 UTC
DD08 What is the legal basis for the administrative requirements for mandatory referendums at the national level? Tick as appropriate and specify the relevant constitutional, legal or regulatory provisions below.
a. Constitutional
Source: Constitution, Chapter IV, Part 2, Section 38, subsection 7.
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:06:22 UTC
DD09 What is the legal basis for the administrative requirements for optional referendums at the national level? Tick as appropriate and specify the relevant constitutional, legal or regulatory provisions below.
e. Not applicable
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:07:44 UTC
DD10 What is the legal basis for the administrative requirements for citizens' initiatives at the national level?
Tick as appropriate and specify the relevant constitutional, legal or regulatory provisions below.
e. Not applicable
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:08:20 UTC
DD11 What is the legal basis for the administrative requirements for agenda initiatives at the national level?
Tick as appropriate and specify the relevant constitutional, legal or regulatory provisions below.
e. Not applicable
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:08:55 UTC
DD12 What is the legal basis for the administrative requirements for recalls at the national level? Tick as appropriate and specify the relevant constitutional, legal or regulatory provisions below.
e. Not applicable
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:09:28 UTC
DD13 When were direct democracy mechanisms first introduced into the legal framework at the national level?
Date (yyyy)
a. Mandatory referendum July 1981
Comments: Date of enactment of the Constitution.
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:10:25 UTC
DD15 Who is responsible for managing the administration of direct democracy mechanisms at the national level?
e. Other (specify who)
Comments: Supervisor of Elections
Source: Constitution, Chapter IV, Part 2, Section 47, subsection 7 and Part 6, Section 67.
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:12:13 UTC
DD16 Does this agency/department also manage the administration of national elections?
a. Yes
Source: Constitution, Chapter IV, Part 2, Section 47, subsection 7 and Part 6, Section 67.
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:13:34 UTC
DD27 What are the issues, if any, in relation to which referendums are mandatory at the national level?
a. Constitutional amendments
j. Other (specify)
Comments: Supreme Court Order
Source: Constitution, Chapter IV, Part 2, Section 47, subsection 5.
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:16:39 UTC
DD28 What are the issues, if any, in relation to which referendums are optional at the national level?
k. None
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:22:43 UTC
DD29 Which issues, if any, are excluded from being the subject of referendums at the national level?
k. None
Source: Constitution, Chapter IV, Part 2, Section 47.
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:35:09 UTC
DD31 Who can initiate a referendum at the national level?
d. Legislative majority
Comments: Parliament shall adopt the necessary provisions to conduct any referendum.
Source: Constitution, Chapter IV, Part 2, Section 47, subsection 7
Last updated: 2006-03-17 18:58:48 UTC
Electoral Management
EM01 Please provide the following contact information for the national electoral management body:
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:29:01 UTC
EM04 The budget of the national electoral management body is determined by:
b. The Prime Minister
Comments: b) The cabinet.
Source: Commonwealth election observer group: http://www.thecommonwealth.org/shared_asp_files/uploadedfiles/%7BF3B45C53-F1A0-4557-873D-46EFCBBEE90E%7D_FinalReportOFTheCETAntiguaAndBarbuda.pdf
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:32:35 UTC
EM06 The term of the members of the national electoral management body is:
b. For a term of _________ years
Comments: b) For a term of five years.
Source: International IDEA (2006) "Electoral Management Design"
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:29:01 UTC
EM08 According to official sources, what was the estimated overall cost (in US dollars if available) of the most recent national elections?
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:29:01 UTC
EM09 What was the total number of registered voters or, where there was no voter roll, the estimated number of eligible voters?
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:29:01 UTC
Legislative Framework
LF01 What is the status of the electoral law governing national elections?
b. Separate legislation
Source: IFE 2006.
Last updated: 2006-05-31 17:14:28 UTC
LF03 The national electoral law covers:
a. National elections
Source: Representation of the People Act, 2002, art. 1
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:27:24 UTC
Parties and Candidates
PC01 What are the registration requirements for political parties running for national elections (Chamber 1)?
a. Signature requirement (specify requirement)
b. Deposit requirement (specify amount)
Comments: a) 10 voters, in the presence of the returning officer. b) 500 dollars.
Source: Representation of the People Act, 2002, art. 10, 12
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:22:54 UTC
PC02 What are the registration requirements for political parties running for national elections (Chamber 2)?
g. Not applicable
Source: IFE 2006.
Last updated: 2006-05-31 17:18:20 UTC
PC03 What are the legal qualifications to become a candidate at legislative elections (Chamber 1)?
a. Age
b. Citizenship
d. Residence
j. Other
Comments: a) 21 years Ordinary residence in Antigua and Barbuda for a period of twelve months immediately preceding the date of his election and to be able to speak and, unless incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause, to read the English language with sufficient profiency to enable him to take an active part in the proceedings of the House.
Source: Constitution 38.
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:22:54 UTC
PC04 What are the legal qualifications to become a candidate at legislative elections (Chamber 2)?
a. Age
b. Citizenship
d. Residence
j. Other
Comments: a) 21 years old. Senators are appointed, not elected. In any case, they should meet same requirements that candidates to the House: Ordinary residence in Antigua and Barbuda for a period of twelve months immediately preceding the date of his election and to be able to speak and, unless incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause, to read the English language with sufficient profiency to enable him to take an active part in the proceedings of the chamber.
Source: Constitution 29.
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:22:54 UTC
PC05 What are the legal qualifications for becoming a candidate at presidential elections?
k. Not applicable
Source: IFE 2006.
Last updated: 2006-05-31 17:18:20 UTC
PC08 Can independent candidates compete in presidential or legislative elections?
c. In legislative elections (Chamber 1)
Comments: In fact, it is not required to be member or nominated by a political in order to become a candidate for House of Assembly.
Source: Constitution 38.
Last updated: 2006-05-30 20:19:13 UTC
PC12 Do political parties receive direct/indirect public funding?
a. No
Source: International IDEA (2003) "Funding of Political Parties and Election Campaigns"
Last updated: 2006-11-15 10:13:11 UTC
PC15 What is the basis of the public funding?
f. Not applicable
Comments: There is no public funding of political parties.
Source: International IDEA (2003) "Funding of Political Parties and Election Campaigns"
Last updated: 2006-11-15 10:16:04 UTC
Vote Counting
VC04 Following the close of the voting, where are the votes first sorted and counted?
a. At the polling stations
Source: Representation of the People Act, art. 56
Last updated: 2007-02-08 10:01:16 UTC
VC11 Under what conditions are ballots recounted?
d. By request
Comments: 57. (1) A candidate, if present when the counting or any recount of the votes is completed, may require the returning officer to have the votes re-counted. (2) No step shall be taken on the completion of the counting or any re-count of the votes until the candidates at the completion thereof have been given a reasonable opportunity to exercise the right conferred by this rule.
Source: Representation of the People Act, art. 57
Last updated: 2007-02-08 10:01:16 UTC
Voter Education
VE01 Who conducts voter education and information campaigns at the national elections (informing where, when and how to register and vote)?
a. National Electoral Management Body
g. NGOs/ Civic Organizations
i. Media
Comments: The EMB shall, according to law, design a voter education program. In co-operation with media this education shall be executed. Civil society may also take part in this. However, according to the Commonwealth election observer group, no voter education was conducted in the run-up to the 2004 elections. The reason for this was lack of funds, the EMB received its funds only a few weeks before the election and this made it impossible to conduct voter education. The answers above refers therefore to the legal provisions for voter education and not the actual situation as it was like in the 2004 elections.
Source: Representation of the People Act, art. 61; Commonwealth election observer group: http://www.thecommonwealth.org/shared_asp_files/uploadedfiles/%7BF3B45C53-F1A0-4557-873D-46EFCBBEE90E%7D_FinalReportOFTheCETAntiguaAndBarbuda.pdf
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:38:01 UTC
Voting Operations
VO03 Where can electors vote?
a. At a specified polling station in the locality where they are registered at national elections
Source: Representation of the People Act, art. 28
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:57:11 UTC
VO04 Who can vote from outside the country?
a. Outside the country voting is not permitted
Source: IFE 2006.
Last updated: 2006-05-31 17:18:44 UTC
VO05 If voting outside the country is permitted, at what places?
g. Not applicable
Source: IFE 2006.
Last updated: 2006-05-31 17:18:57 UTC
VO10 Is there a maximum allowable voter capacity of a polling station for the national elections?
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:57:11 UTC
VO11 How do electors cast their votes?
a. By manually marking the ballot
Source: Representation of the People Act, art. 40
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:57:11 UTC
Voter Registration
VR01 What is the legal voting age in the national elections?
c. 18
Comments: 18 years
Source: Constitution 40:2.
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:38:36 UTC
VR02 Beyond age, what other qualifications exist for registering to vote and voting in the national elections?
a. Citizenship
b. Period of Residence
e. Other
Comments: To be a Commonwealth citizen; possess such qualifications relating to residence or domicile in Antigua and Barbuda as Parliament may prescribe and be registered as a voter in any constituency.
Source: Constitution 40:2-3
Last updated: 2006-05-30 17:12:03 UTC
VR04 Which is the authority responsible for the registration of voters for national elections?
c. Local Government Authority
Comments: c) Persons responsible to conduct the registration process as per legal requirements are Registration Officers and Registration Clerks appointed by the Commission. In the 2004 election, employed on a US$500,000 contract, the Electoral Office of Jamaica carried out a full voter registration exercise for Antigua, including the production of fingerprint and photograph identity cards.
Source: Commonwealth expert team, report on the registration process, 2003: http://www.thecommonwealth.org/shared_asp_files/uploadedfiles/%7BBD0ACB51-6F60-4BD6-A5FA-05871ADFAF49%7D_Report_AB_short.pdf
Last updated: 2007-02-08 09:47:15 UTC
20/05/2008 07:18
