Jamaican general election, 2016

Jamaican general election, 2016

25 February 2016
All 63 seats in the House of Representatives
First party Second party   130x130px Leader Andrew Holness Portia Simpson-Miller Party Jamaica Labour People's National Party Leader since 23 October 2011 26 February 2006 Leader's seat St Andrew West Central St Andrew South Western Last election 21 seats, 46.6% 42 seats, 53.4% Seats before 21 42 Seats won 32 31 Seat change 11 11 Popular vote 437,178 433,629 Percentage 50.1% 49.7% Swing 3.5pp 3.7pp
400px Map of result by constituency. Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results.
Prime Minister before election Portia Simpson Miller People's National Party Prime Minister-designate Andrew Holness Jamaica Labour

General elections were held in Jamaica on 25 February 2016. The elections were largely a contest between the governing People's National Party (PNP) and the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). The result was a narrow victory for the Jamaica Labour Party, which won 32 of the 63 seats. One political commentator described the poll as "the closest election Jamaica has ever had".

The winning vote share of the Jamaica Labour Party was the lowest vote-share for a winning party since 1962, when the JLP won 50.0% of the vote, and the narrowest majority in the House of Representatives since 1949. A similarly close election occurred in 2007, in which two seats changed hands on recounts.

Background

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller announced the date of the general election on 31 January 2016. The nomination date of 9 February 2016 was also announced. The elections can be considered as having been called early, as it was constitutionally due between 29 December 2016 (the day of the previous election in 2011) and 16 March 2017 (within three months of the date of the first sitting of the new Parliament on 17 January 2012). There is no fixed election date in effect in Jamaica at this time and so the exact election date is the prerogative of the Prime Minister.

Electoral system

The 63 members of the House of Representatives are elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting. The Representation of the People Act permits the candidacy of voters above the age of 21. Any Commonwealth citizen residing in Jamaica can vote in the election if they are older than 18 years. To be included on the ballot, a nomination must include the signatures of at least ten eligible voters from the same constituency. The nomination form must then be submitted during a four-hour window on nomination day.

Campaign

A total of 152 candidates registered to contest the elections, with both the Jamaica Labour Party and People's National Party nominating a candidate in every constituency. Minor parties put forward a small number of candidates, with seven from the National Democratic Movement, six from the Marcus Garvey People's Progressive Party and two from the People's Progressive Party.

Results

Preliminary results saw the opposition Jamaica Labour Party gaining a total of twelve seats, taking a slender three seat majority over the governing People's National Party in the House of Representatives. No other parties were elected. Among those elected were JLP Chairman Robert Montague and Juliet Holness. A voter turnout of 47.7% was the lowest since 1983, the year when the PNP boycotted the elections. JLP leader Andrew Holness became Prime Minister-designate, regaining the position he lost to Simpson-Miller after the previous election in 2011.

Subsequently however, after a recount, a 127 margin in favour of the JLP was overturned and called for the PNP by 9 votes in the St. Mary South East constituency, narrowing the margin to 32–31 in the House. The recount in St. Mary South East had also called into question results in St Ann South West, St James South, St Catherine North East, and St Andrew Eastern, which were decided by similarly narrow margins.

After recounts, the JLP was declared to have the majority in the House of Representatives with their 32 seats to the PNP's 31. The JLP plan to contest the St. Mary South East recount that saw their margin narrow. The final count as authorised by the Electoral Commission was announced on 2 March.

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Jamaica Labour Party	437,178	50.10	32	+11
People's National Party	433,629	49.69	31	–11
Marcus Garvey People's Political Party	260	0.03	0	0
National Democratic Movement	223	0.03	0	0
People's Progressive Party	91	0.01	0	New
Independents	1,233	0.14	0	0
Invalid/blank votes	9,875	–	–	–
Total	882,489	100	63	0
Registered voters/turnout	1,824,412	48.37	–	–
Source: Electoral Commission