Info

Antigua and Barbuda

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Boundary Delimitation

BD001

Delimitation of constituencies

Question:	Are constituencies delimited for election purposes?
Answer:	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: art. 62 and 65.
Verified:	2009/08/20

BD003

Criteria for drawing boundaries

Question:	On what criteria are the boundaries drawn?
Answer(s):	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: art. 64:3.
Verified:	2009/08/20

BD005

Body responsible for drawing boundaries

Question:	The body responsible for drawing the boundaries is:
Answer(s):	c. Executive
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: art. 63:1.
Verified:	2009/08/20

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Electoral Systems

ES001

Head of State

Question:	How is the Head of State selected?
Answer(s):	f. A Governor General appointed by the Monarch g. Inherited monarchy
Comments:	The monarch of Great Britain is Head of State, represented by the Governor General.
Source:
Verified:	2009/11/11

ES002

Head of Government

Question:	How is the Head of Government selected?
Answer:	e. Appointed
Comments:	The Governor-General is appointed by the monarch of Great Britain.
Source:	Constitution: art. 22
Verified:	2009/08/20

ES003

President

Question:	Does the country have a president?
Answer:	b. No
Comments:	The Senate elects a president, which represents the Senate.
Source:	Constitution: art. 33
Verified:	2009/11/11

ES004

Number of Chambers

Question:	The national legislature consists of (one/two chambers):
Answer:	b. Two chambers
Comments:
Source:	Constitution: ch. IV.
Verified:	2009/08/20

ES005

Electoral System (Chamber 1)

Question:	What is the electoral system for Chamber 1 of the national legislature?
Answer(s):	a. Plurality (FPTP)
Comments:
Source:	Constitution: Art. 40
Verified:	2009/08/20

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Legislative Framework

LF001

Status of Electoral Law

Question:	What is the status of the electoral law governing national elections?
Answer(s):	b. Separate legislation
Comments:
Source:	IFE 2006.
Verified:	2006/05/31

LF003

Electoral Law covers

Question:	The national electoral law covers:
Answer(s):	a. National elections
Comments:
Source:	Representation of the People Act, 2002: art. 1
Verified:	2007/02/08

LF004

Compulsory/voluntary voting

Question:	Is voting on the national level voluntary or compulsory?
Answer(s):	a. Voting is voluntary
Comments:
Source:	International IDEA Voter Turnout Website (http://www.idea.int/vt/)
Verified:	2006/11/17

LF007

Electoral Disputes Agency(ies)

Question:	What are the agency(ies) responsible for the first level of formal electoral disputes?
Answer(s):	e. No information available
Comments:
Source:
Verified:	2009/08/20

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Electoral Management

EM001

Please provide the following contact information for the national electoral management body:

Name of Institution: Electoral Commission 	
Website Address: www.antiguaelections.com

Source

No Source

Verified

2009/10/29

(Found a mistake? Please let us know.)

EM002

Responsibility of national EMB

Question:	Does the national electoral body have the responsibility for elections at:
Answer(s):	a. National level b. Regional level c. Local level
Comments:
Source:	EMB website (http://www.antiguaelections.com/Default.htm)
Verified:	2009/08/20

EM004

EMB budget determined by

Question:	The budget of the national electoral management body is determined by:
Answer(s):	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
Verified:	2009/08/20

EM005

EMB expenditures controlled by

Question:	The expenditures of the national electoral management body are controlled by:
Answer(s):	h. No information available
Comments:
Source:
Verified:	2009/08/20

EM006

Term of EMB members

Question:	The term of the members of the national electoral management body is:
Answer:	b. For a specified number of years
Comments:	b) For a term of five years.
Source:	Electoral Management Design: The International IDEA Handbook (http://www.idea.int/publications/emd/upload/EMD_Annex_A.pdf)
Verified:	2009/08/20

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Voter Education

VE001

Information campaigns performed by

Question:	Who conducts information campaigns for national elections (informing where, when and how to register and/or vote)?
Answer(s):	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
Verified:	2007/02/08

VE002

Frequency of voter education programs

Question:	At the national level, how often are voter education programs conducted?
Answer:	d. No information available
Comments:
Source:
Verified:	2009/08/20

VE003

National civic education

Question:	Is there a national civic education campaign (rights and responsibilities of citizens)?
Answer(s):	m. No information available
Comments:
Source:
Verified:	2009/08/20

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Voter Registration

VR001

Voting age

Question:	What is the legal voting age in the national elections?
Answer:	c. 18
Comments:	18 years
Source:	Constitution: art. 40:2.
Verified:	2009/08/20

VR002

Other voting requirements

Question:	Beyond age, what other qualifications exist for registering to vote and voting in the national elections?
Answer(s):	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: art. 40:2-3
Verified:	2009/08/20

VR004

Body responsible for voter registration

Question:	Which is the authority responsible for the registration of voters for national elections?
Answer:	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
Verified:	2007/02/08

VR008

Compulsory voter registration

Question:	Is it compulsory to be on the voters register?
Answer:	b. No
Comments:	But it is necessary to registered in order to be able to vote.
Source:	Constitution: art. 40:3.
Verified:	2009/08/20

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Voting Operations

VO003

Electors vote at

Question:	Where can electors vote?
Answer(s):	a. At a specified polling station in the locality where they are registered at national elections
Comments:
Source:	Representation of the People Act, art. 28
Verified:	2009/08/20

VO004

Voting outside the country is permitted for

Question:	Who can vote from outside the country?
Answer(s):	a. Outside the country voting is not permitted
Comments:
Source:	IFE 2006.
Verified:	2006/05/31

VO005

Locations for voting outside of the country

Question:	If voting outside the country is permitted, at what places?
Answer(s):	g. No information available
Comments:
Source:	IFE 2006.
Verified:	2006/05/31

VO011

Voting method

Question:	How do electors cast their votes?
Answer(s):	a. Manually marking of ballots
Comments:
Source:	Representation of the People Act, art. 40
Verified:	2009/08/20

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Parties and Candidates

PC001

Registration requirements for parties (Chamber 1)

Question:	What are the registration requirements for political parties running for national elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):	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
Verified:	2009/08/20

PC003

Registration requirements for candidates (Chamber 1)

Question:	What are the legal qualifications to become a candidate at legislative elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):	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.
Verified:	2009/08/20

PC008

Independent candidates

Question:	Can independent candidates compete in presidential or legislative elections?
Answer(s):	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.
Verified:	2009/08/20

PC012

Public funding of parties

Question:	Do political parties receive direct/indirect public funding?
Answer(s):	a. No
Comments:
Source:	International IDEA (2003) "Funding of Political Parties and Election Campaigns"
Verified:	2009/08/20

PC015

Basis of public funding

Question:	What is the basis of the public funding?
Answer(s):	f. No information available
Comments:	There is no public funding of political parties.
Source:	International IDEA (2003) "Funding of Political Parties and Election Campaigns"
Verified:	2006/11/15

PC017

Private funding of parties

Question:	Are political parties entitled to private funding?
Answer:	a. Yes
Comments:
Source:	International IDEA Political Parties Database: http://www.idea.int/parties/finance/db/country_print.cfm?CountryCode=AG
Verified:	2007/02/08

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Vote Counting

VC004

Voters are sorted/counted at

Question:	Following the close of the voting, where are the votes first sorted and counted?
Answer:	a. The polling stations
Comments:
Source:	Representation of the People Act, art. 56
Verified:	2009/08/20

VC011

Conditions for recount

Question:	Under what conditions are ballots recounted?
Answer(s):	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
Verified:	2009/08/20

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Media and Elections

ME037

Parties receive free broadcast time based on

Question:	What are the criteria for allocating free broadcast time and/or free printed advertisement space to political parties?
Answer(s):	h. No information available
Comments:
Source:
Verified:	2009/08/20

ME059

Existence of televised debates

Question:	Are televised debates between candidates or party representatives normally conducted?
Answer(s):	d. No information available
Comments:
Source:
Verified:	2009/08/20

ME062

Blackout period for opinion polls

Question:	What is the blackout period, if any, during which results of pre-election opinion polls may not be released to the public?
Answer:	h. Not applicable
Comments:
Source:
Verified:	2009/08/20

ME080

Maximum amount for paid advertising

Question:	Is there a maximum amount that a political party is permitted to spend on paid advertising during a campaign period?
Answer:	c. No information available
Comments:
Source:
Verified:	2009/08/20

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Direct Democracy

DD002

Direct Democracy Provisions (National Level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Direct Democracy Procedures at the national level?
Answer:	a. Yes
Comments:
Source:	Constitution, Chapter IV, Part 2, Section 47, subsection 5 "Direct Democracy: The International IDEA Handbook" (2008), (http://www.idea.int/publications/direct_democracy/index.cfm)
Verified:	2009/08/20

DD003

Mandatory referendums (national level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Mandatory Referendums at the national level?
Answer:	a. Yes
Comments:
Source:	Constitution, Chapter IV, Part 2, Section 47, subsection 5 "Direct Democracy: The International IDEA Handbook" (2008), (http://www.idea.int/publications/direct_democracy/index.cfm)
Verified:	2009/08/20

DD004

Optional referendums (national level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Optional Referendums at the national level?
Answer:	b. No
Comments:
Source:	"Direct Democracy: The International IDEA Handbook" (2008), (http://www.idea.int/publications/direct_democracy/index.cfm)
Verified:	2009/08/20

DD005

Citizens' Initiatives (national level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Citizen’s Initiatives at national level?
Answer:	b. No
Comments:
Source:	"Direct Democracy: The International IDEA Handbook" (2008), (http://www.idea.int/publications/direct_democracy/index.cfm)
Verified:	2009/08/20

DD006

Agenda Initiatives (national level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Agenda Initiatives at national level?
Answer:	b. No
Comments:
Source:	"Direct Democracy: The International IDEA Handbook" (2008), (http://www.idea.int/publications/direct_democracy/index.cfm)
Verified:	2009/08/20

DD007

Recalls (national level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Recalls at national level?
Answer:	b. No
Comments:
Source:	"Direct Democracy: The International IDEA Handbook" (2008), (http://www.idea.int/publications/direct_democracy/index.cfm)
Verified:	2009/08/20

DD129

Binding referenda

Question:	Are the results of referenda always binding, never binding or sometimes binding?
Answer:	a. Always binding
Comments:
Source:	"Direct Democracy: The International IDEA Handbook" (2008), (http://www.idea.int/publications/direct_democracy/index.cfm)
Verified:	2009/08/20

DD130

National referenda deal with

Question:	Are the types of issues to vote upon in a referendum constitutional changes only, other issues only or both constitutional and other issues?
Answer:	c. Both constitutional and other issues
Comments:
Source:	Constitution "Direct Democracy: The International IDEA Handbook" (2008), (http://www.idea.int/publications/direct_democracy/index.cfm)
Verified:	2009/08/20

DD131

Direct Democracy at sub-national level

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Direct Democracy at sub-national levels (regional or local)?
Answer:	c. No information available
Comments:
Source:
Verified:	2009/08/20