General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 21 March 2018 to elect members to House of Representatives of the 15th Antigua and Barbuda Parliament."2018 Election Date Set For March 21" Daily Observer, 24 February 2018 Each of the 17 constituencies elected one Member of Parliament (MP).
The governing Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party led by Gaston Browne was returned to power, winning 15 of the 17 seats, increasing their majority by one seat.ABLP wins 2018 General Elections Antigua Observer, 22 March 2018 The United Progressive Party, the official opposition, led by Harold Lovell, was reduced to a single seat and Lovell failed to be elected.
Electoral system The 17 elected members of the House of Representatives were elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting; 16 of the seats were allocated for the island of Antigua and one for the island of Barbuda.Electoral system IPU Barbudan electors were required to travel to Antigua to vote as a result of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
Campaign A total of 53 candidates contested the elections, representing seven parties. The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party nominated a full slate of 17 candidates. The United Progressive Party nominated candidates only on the island of Antigua due to an electoral pact with the Barbuda People's Movement which stood only on the island of Barbuda. Together they fielded a candidate in every seat. The Democratic National Alliance (13) were the only other party to contest more than half the seats. The Antigua Barbuda True Labour Party and Go Green for Life both had two candidates, while the Barbuda People's Movement (affiliated to the United Progressive Party) and Missing Link VOP had a single candidate. A single independent candidate, Attorney-at-law Ralph Francis, contested the seat of Barbuda.Elections in Antigua Caribbean Elections2018 candidates Caribbean Elections
Prime Minister Gaston Browne dissolved parliament fifteen months early. The main issues were the re-building and response to the 2017 Hurricane season, the Barbudan communal land ownership law, tourism resorts notably the Sandals Resorts, and a bribery scandal involving Browne.
Results
By constituency ConstituencyABLPUPPDNAGGLBPMIndTotalVotes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%All Saints East and St. Luke1,36947.651,37947.991063.6870.242,873All Saints West1,72654.311,38043.42511.603,178Barbuda42942.01131.2755854.6540.391,021St. George2,08356.681,45239.511213.293,675St. John's City East76954.4261643.59181.271,413St. John's City South89569.6035527.60231.781,286St. John's City West1,45770.9056527.49150.732,055St. John's Rural East2,17565.9097529.551344.063,300St. John's Rural North1,70859.901,05737.07582.032,851St. John's Rural South1,50262.5375531.43381.582,402St. John's Rural West1,71250.861,52845.391133.353,366St. Mary's North1,88260.401,22039.153,116St. Mary's South94250.0891148.43180.961,881St. Paul1,31559.4283637.78532.392,213St. Peter1,73673.1257724.302,374St. Philip North88470.4935528.301,254St. Philip South47949.7945947.7160.62962Total23,06359.2414,44037.097541.94200.055581.4340.0138,932Source: ABEC
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