Thousands of eligible Grenadian citizens cast their ballots across the island nation on Thursday in a highly anticipated general election, as sitting Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell vies to secure a second consecutive term at the helm of government against a diverse field of prominent political challengers. Official electoral data confirms 97,020 registered voters are eligible to participate, with 46 total candidates competing for the 15 contested seats in Grenada’s House of Representatives. Polling stations opened promptly at 6 a.m. local time and were scheduled to close at 5 p.m. the same day, to be followed immediately by public ballot counting. The early snap election was called nearly a full year ahead of the constitutional mandate deadline of October 2027, catching many local residents by surprise. Mitchell’s ruling National Democratic Congress first came to power in the June 2022 general election, when it secured 9 House seats to defeat the once-dominant New National Party, which walked away with 6 seats that cycle. This year’s race marks a historic milestone for the NNP, as its leader Emmalin Pierre becomes the first woman to steer the party into a national general election, taking over the party’s top post after former long-serving Prime Minister Keith Mitchell stepped back from active political life. Adding further complexity to the electoral landscape is veteran politician Peter David, a former Foreign Affairs Minister who has previously run for office under both of Grenada’s major traditional parties, now leading the third-party Democratic People’s Movement. The months-long lead-up to polling day was defined by fierce policy debates centered on pressing household priorities, particularly the soaring cost of living and gaps in core public services. Pierre and the NNP rolled out a sweeping relief platform that included pledges to eliminate taxes on electricity and sugar, scrap the existing national water levy, and exempt all monthly incomes of EC$6,000 or less from income tax entirely. The election moved forward only after a last-minute legal hurdle was cleared on Wednesday, when Grenada’s High Court formally dismissed an opposition legal challenge that sought to block the dissolution of Parliament. Presiding Justice Agnes Actie ruled that Prime Minister Mitchell’s decision to dissolve the legislature and call an early election fully complied with the country’s constitution and statutory law, removing all remaining legal barriers to the vote. To ensure full transparency and adherence to democratic standards, a team of regional and international observers has been deployed across the island to monitor every stage of the electoral process. The 11-member official observer mission from CARICOM, led by Saint Lucia’s Chief Elections Officer Herman St. Helen and including representatives such as Elisa Graham from the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Department, will oversee voting operations, the subsequent ballot count, and the official announcement of final results, with a full preliminary public assessment of the process scheduled for release on Friday.
Grenadians vote in general election as PM Dickon Mitchell seeks second term
