Voters across the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda headed to the polls starting at 6 a.m. local time Thursday, as the country’s highly anticipated general election officially got underway across all 17 electoral constituencies. The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission has issued formal confirmation that voting operations are running smoothly across every polling station nationwide, with ballot access open to eligible electors until 6 p.m. Thursday. Once voting concludes at the closing deadline, vote counting will immediately commence. The election is shaped as a competitive contest dominated by two major political forces: the incumbent governing Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), and the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP). One additional candidate from the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) is also in the running, alongside three independent contenders who are competing for seats in three separate constituencies: Debbie Pero Georges in St. George, Alan Weston in St. Paul, and Nigel Bascus in St. John’s Rural West. These independent candidacies have created tightly contested three-way races in each of these three districts. Notably, the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) opted out of the 2024 contest entirely, having previously announced it would not field any candidates in this election cycle. Early voter activity was reported at multiple polling locations across the country, with dozens of electors arriving to cast their ballots within minutes of stations opening. To maintain order and uphold electoral integrity, election officials, accredited party agents, and uniformed security personnel have been deployed to every polling site across Antigua and Barbuda. For context, the last general election held in the country in 2023 saw a total of 42,869 valid ballots cast, translating to a national voter turnout rate of 70.37 percent, per official electoral data. Ahead of voting, electoral authorities have issued public guidance urging all registered electors to double-check their assigned polling station locations ahead of arrival, bring the mandatory government-issued photo identification required to vote, and adhere to all established electoral rules and protocols throughout voting day. The outcome of Thursday’s vote will determine the full membership of Antigua and Barbuda’s next national Parliament. Counting operations are scheduled to run through the overnight hours into Friday, which has been designated a public holiday to accommodate the election process, with final official results expected to be declared once counting is completed. To reinforce transparency, independent observation teams from three major regional and international bodies—the Commonwealth, the Organization of American States (OAS), and the Caribbean Community (Caricom)—are on the ground monitoring all stages of the electoral process.
Polls Open Across Antigua and Barbuda as Voting in the 2026 General Elections Gets Underway
