As Antigua and Barbuda’s nationwide voter identification card replacement initiative accelerates, the country’s Electoral Commission has confirmed that more than half of all eligible voters have already finalized the process, according to the latest official data for April 2026. The overall national completion rate now stands at just over 55%, with significant variation in uptake across different constituencies, the commission’s updated report reveals. Several constituencies have already posted participation rates well above the national average, emerging as standouts in the ongoing program. Leading the pack is the St Peter constituency, where an impressive 87% of registered voters have successfully swapped out their old identification cards for new ones. Close behind, St Philip North and the island of Barbuda also outpace the national average, clocking completion rates of 75% and 76% respectively. However, the data also highlights uneven progress across the country, with some constituencies falling significantly behind the midpoint mark. St Mary’s North and St John’s Rural West are among the areas with completion rates still below the 55% national threshold, pointing to slower adoption in these regions. Since the voter ID replacement program launched, the commission has processed a cumulative total of 28,926 applications, with 5,575 of those applications coming in April alone, as of the latest data cut-off. Looking at recent weekly trends, the program saw a notable surge in activity earlier this month, with 2,894 applications processed between April 5 and 11. A further 1,604 applications were finalized in the following week spanning April 12 to 18. That said, the latest report shows daily application processing totals dropped to zero after April 14, a gap that officials have not explicitly explained, leaving open two potential explanations: a temporary pause in processing operations, or delayed entry of the most recent data into the commission’s tracking system. By constituency, the highest weekly application volume between April 12 and 18 was recorded in St John’s Rural West, which notched 177 new applications. St George followed close behind with 173 applications, and All Saints West came in third with 157 submissions. With critical upcoming electoral deadlines drawing near, the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission is stepping up appeals to all registered voters across the twin-island nation to complete their ID replacement as soon as possible. The commission has issued a clear warning: voters who fail to finalize the replacement process before the deadline could lose their ability to cast a ballot in upcoming elections. To address the existing gaps in participation, officials confirmed that outreach and access efforts will be expanded moving forward, with a particular focus on the constituencies that have lagged behind the national average to help boost uptake and ensure all eligible voters can exercise their voting rights. These targeted efforts are expected to close the regional gap and push the overall completion rate higher in the coming weeks, the commission added.
Voter ID replacement drive passes halfway mark in Antigua and Barbuda
