General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 30 April 2026 to elect members of the House of Representatives. The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) had held a slim majority of seats since the 2023 election, making further gains in Parliament following the election of Rawdon Turner and the unofficial floor walk of Anthony Smith. However, it also experienced losses in the 2025 Barbuda Council election and the 2023 St. Mary's South by-election. Besides the ABLP, the United Progressive Party (UPP) and the Barbuda People's Movement (BPM), as well as various other independents and minor parties were expected to contest.
On 21 March, Prime Minister Gaston Browne had announced that general elections would be held within the next ninety days, and likely earlier. Parliament was dissolved on 1 April, and the date of the election was subsequently announced at the ABLP's platform launch on 7 April. Nomination day was on 13 April, and 1 May was a designated public holiday.
At 23:49 AST, the Antigua Broadcasting Service (ABS) projected that the ABLP would retain its majority in parliament following the victory of Daryll Matthew in St. John's Rural South, propelling Browne to his fourth term as prime minister.
Background
Previous election At the previous general election in January 2023, the Labour Party, led by Gaston Browne, continued to hold its majority in the House of Representatives albeit in a significantly narrower manner, largely due to discontent caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. An expelled member of the party, Asot Michael, managed to win a significant majority of the vote in Saint Peter on an independent ticket. Saint Peter had been a safe constituency for the party since its formation. Labour also lost several seats across Antigua to the United Progressive Party, especially in suburban regions in the Central Plain and rural areas near the Shekerley Mountains. Labour was unable to win the majority of the popular vote and relied on narrow support in some urban districts in the St. John's area, most notably in St. John's City East. Disputes from the sociopolitical crisis in Barbuda following Hurricane Irma also continued to influence the results in that constituency – Trevor Walker, leader of the Barbuda People's Movement, won nearly sixty percent of the votes on the island largely due to land and corruption issues.
Overall, Labour only carried one parish, Saint John, where the vast majority of the population resides, winning nine seats in total. The official opposition UPP won 6 seats, BPM won Barbuda, and independent Asot Michael retained his seat. UPP leader Harold Lovell resigned from the party leadership following the election, causing the eventual rise of deputy leader Jamale Pringle.
Senate The composition of the Senate fluctuated during this term in parliament. The Senate was appointed on 23 January 2023, a few days following the election – the prime minister, leader of the opposition, and the Barbuda Council each must recommend that senators be appointed on their behalf. Some senators are also appointed under the governor-general's discretion. Eleven of the senators were members of the Labour Party – many of whom were appointed to the Senate after they lost their seats in the House of Representatives. All four general opposition senators appointed on behalf of Pringle were members of the United Progressive Party. The Barbuda Council nominated a member of the BPM to hold the Barbuda Council seat. An independent senator was nominated at the governor-general's discretion, initially Kiz Johnson.
Dozens of senators came and went, mostly senators from the Labour Party contesting in House by-elections such as Dwayne George and Rawdon Turner, and some others departed due to political infighting, especially within the UPP during the party's credibility crisis. Many senators who had left to contest by-elections were reappointed to the Senate following their losses. Unlike similar elections in the past, few senators on the government benches were granted ministerial portfolios – most ministers and other executive officials came from the House.
Events of the 16th legislature Later in 2023, the Labour Party suffered a significant loss, losing in St. Mary's South by-election by a landslide. It also continued to fail to win a seat in the 2023 Barbuda Council election. The discontent with the Labour government lasted until July 2024, when UPP MP Anthony Smith left the party and was appointed to the Labour Party government the following day. Antigua.news This sparked a credibility crisis for the UPP, with internal dysfunction being revealed to the public and many calls for the party leadership to resign. Following the assassination of independent St. Peter MP Asot Michael in November 2024, the Labour Party was able to emerge victorious with about three-fourths of the vote. The Labour Party continued to fail to win a seat in the controversial 2025 Barbuda Council election, resulting in the BPM keeping to win all seats up for election. The Prime Minister stated that the country was ready for a general election in a rally on 23 March 2025, and in the council election's aftermath, informal campaigning commenced.
Due to repeated delays of the 2021 census until June 2025, the Constituency Boundaries Commission had originally proposed updating constituency boundaries based on voter registration counts. The constituency boundaries have not been changed since 1984, and constituency populations vary in the thousands. Review commenced in November 2025 although redistricting was not completed in time for the election. In February 2026, long-time representative Robin Yearwood resigned from parliament, triggering a by-election in a seat that had been solidly safe for the ABLP for nearly fifty years until a slim majority in the 2023 election. The ABLP candidate Randy Baltimore ended up winning in a landslide on 16 March 2026, although his swearing-in was delayed due to eligibility concerns. This victory caused various political scientists to recommend that Pringle resign from party leadership and Browne call for a general election, which Browne did on 21 March.
Electoral system As of March 2026, there are seventeen single-member constituencies in Antigua and Barbuda, with members of the House of Representatives being elected by first-past-the-post voting. There are sixteen constituencies on Antigua and one on Barbuda. In order to vote in Antigua and Barbuda, one must be an Antiguan and Barbudan citizen or the citizen of a Commonwealth country who is permanent resident in the country. One must also be aged eighteen or older and registered to vote with the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission.
Political parties
Antigua and Barbuda has a three-party system, with the Labour Party active throughout the country, the UPP being active in Antigua, and the BPM being active in Barbuda. The UPP and BPM are allied, with alignment on most political issues and previously having a coalition government from 2004 to 2014. While formerly social democratic, since independence the ABLP has been a mostly conservative party. The table below lists political parties represented in the House of Representatives after the 2023 general election. NameIdeologyPolitical positionLeader2023 resultVotes (%)SeatsAntigua and Barbuda Labour PartyPaternalistic conservatismAnti-federalismCentre-rightGaston Browne47.06%United Progressive PartySocial democracyCentre-leftJamale Pringle45.22%Barbuda People's MovementSocial democracyBarbudan nationalismFederalismCentre-left to left-wingTrevor Walker1.46%
Campaign Informal campaigning began on 28 March 2025, about a year before the election. Browne began criticising the UPP due to its credibility crisis, while maintaining a more cooperative tone with the BPM due to its recent council election victory. The UPP promised to revamp the health, tourism, and education sectors. The opposition also criticised an increase in vehicle licensing fees and low quality public utilities.
A pre-campaign period took place in the aftermath of a by-election in St. Philip's North, where the ABLP planned a national convention scheduled on 12 April 2026, while the cabinet announced a national clean-up campaign to be carried out across the country within the next two weeks to address environmental concerns. The Electoral Commission also faced the task of getting more than 20,000 registered voters to replace their voter identification cards. Richard Lewis, a UPP MP from St. John's Rural West, would also make efforts to provide temporary relief to deteriorating road conditions in the Gray's Hill area on 20 March. In St. John's Rural South, UPP MP Emanuel Peters distributed 318 bowls of bullfoot soup to local residents as part of a pre-election outreach. The former UPP leader Harold Lovell on 21 March urged the UPP to intensify grassroots engagement, refine its public messaging, and strengthen its organisational structure.
On 22 March, the Electoral Commission would unveil a programme for the replacement of expired voter identification cards. On the same day, Browne declared that he was prepared to take further legal action against political opponents, referencing an ongoing lawsuit tied to claims surrounding the sale of the super-yacht Alfa Nero. Desmond Charles, a veteran member of the UPP, would resign from the party on 24 March, stating that his decision reflects a belief that the UPP's current direction no longer serves the best interests of Antigua and Barbuda. On 25 March, Richard Lewis spoke on Observer AM, urging voters to judge candidates based on record, while also stating that the UPP was handling internal tensions privately. Before the Parliament was prorogued on 27 March, Labour MPs walked out after UPP leader Jamale Pringle criticized the retiring Molwyn Joseph's tenure during parliamentary tributes. Pringle would later be removed from the sitting of parliament the same day after directly saying that he would not respect Osbert Frederick's authority as the Speaker of the House.
On 27 March 2026, the Democratic National Alliance announced they would not be contesting in the election. After an opinion poll published on 28 March highlighted the ABLP at 49% support compared to 26% for the UPP, Browne characterised the data as evidence of a significant directional shift in favor of ABLP. Browne then stated that UPP leader Jamale Pringle was at risk of losing his position as party leader, citing weak polling numbers and parliamentary conduct as potential triggers for intra-party tensions. Culture director Khan Cordice asked political candidates on 30 March to hire local artists in their campaigns instead of using artificial intelligence. On 1 April, ABLP senator Michael Freeland would outline a vision centered on infrastructural improvement and community development after he had conducted community outreach over the course of a year. On the same day, ABLP MP Maria Bird-Browne led a three-day bulk waste collection exercise across the constituency over the weekend. The cabinet called for the support of Browne's leadership on 3 April, reflecting on a period of economic growth.
Barbuda People's Movement leader Trevor Walker launched his campaign on 5 April, reaffirming his commitment to protecting Barbuda's rights, heritage and autonomy while urging residents to back the BPM at the polls. The UPP also issued a statement the same day, stating that the party emphasized its approach to governance in listening, engagement, and delivering tangible opportunities. ABLP candidate Kendra Beazer launched his campaign in Barbuda on 6 April, placing priorities on community-centered growth and expanding youth opportunities.