Description of Electoral System:

(courtesy of IFES election guide)

The monarchy is hereditary. In the Senate, 21 members are appointed by the governor-general. In House of Representatives, 60 members are elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term The governor-general appoints members of the Senate on recommendation by the Prime Minister and leader of the opposing party. The ruling party is given 13 seats in the Senate, while the minority party is allotted 8 seats.

Electoral Systems Snapshot

(Courtesy of International IDEA)

*Click on links for definitions

WANT MORE ELECTION RELATED STATS FOR JAMAICA? Go to "election databases" on the left-hand menu of this page OR comparative data on the right-hand menu and choose your area of interest.

Most recent election

(courtesy of wikipedia)

General elections in Jamaica were held on September 3, 2007. They had originally been scheduled for August 27, 2007 but were delayed due to Hurricane Dean. The preliminary results indicated a slim victory for the opposition Jamaican Labour Party led by Bruce Golding, which grew by two seats from 31-29 to 33-27 after official recounts. The JLP defeated the People's National Party after eighteen years of unbroken rule. Read more...