Jamaica will maintain its subsequent common election on September 3, 2025. As voters put together to move to the polls, it’s the right time to look again on the numbers which have formed Jamaica’s election historical past. From the closest races to the file highs and lows in turnout, this cheat sheet breaks down the important thing details it’s good to learn about Jamaica’s elections—each earlier than and after independence in 1962.
The Closest Common Elections
- Pre-Independence:
1949 – The JLP received 17 seats to the PNP’s 13, regardless of the PNP receiving extra votes.
- Submit-Independence:
2007 – The JLP edged the PNP by only one seat (32–28).
Voter Turnout Data
- Highest Pre-Independence Turnout:
1959 – 66.1%
- Lowest Pre-Independence Turnout:
1944 – 58.7% (the primary election underneath common grownup suffrage)
- Highest Submit-Independence Turnout:
1980 – 86.9% (JLP’s landslide victory led by Edward Seaga)
- Lowest Submit-Independence Turnout:
2020 – 37.85% (JLP’s second win underneath Andrew Holness, in the course of the pandemic)
Occasion Dominance
- Pre-Independence:
JLP – 2 wins (1944, 1949)
PNP – 2 wins (1955, 1959)
- Submit-Independence:
PNP – 7 wins
JLP – 7 wins
Leaders by the Numbers
- Leaders Successful the Most Elections:
- Michael Manley (PNP): 3 wins — 1972, 1976, 1989
- P. J. Patterson (PNP): 3 wins — 1993, 1997, 2002
- First Prime Minister After Independence:
Sir Alexander Bustamante (JLP) – 1962
- Youngest Prime Minister Elected:
Andrew Holness (JLP) – grew to become PM at age 39 in 2011
Election Timelines
- Longest Hole: Simply over 5 years, from the contested election in 1980 to the subsequent contested election in 1989. This era consists of the 1983 snap election, which was boycotted by the PNP, making the hole between two totally contested elections over eight years. Nonetheless, once we contemplate all elections, together with the uncontested one, the hole from 1983 to 1989 remains to be the longest at simply over 5 years.
- Shortest Hole: Simply over three years, from the 1980 election to the snap election in 1983.
Fascinating Developments
- Pre-Independence:
Turnout was pretty regular between 58–66%, displaying excessive engagement even within the early years of common grownup suffrage. Energy alternated evenly between the JLP and PNP earlier than independence.
- Submit-Independence:
Turnout rose sharply within the Nineteen Seventies and Nineteen Eighties, peaking at practically 87% in 1980. Because the Nineties, nonetheless, turnout has declined, hitting a file low of 37.85% in 2020.
- Occasion Management:
The PNP dominated the Nineteen Seventies by way of early 2000s, successful 4 consecutive elections (1989–2002). The JLP has been stronger lately, successful in 2007, 2016, and 2020.
Overview of Jamaican Common Election Outcomes
Pre-Independence:
- 1944 – JLP wins (22–32 seats), turnout 58.7%
- 1949 – JLP wins (17–13 seats), turnout 65.2%
- 1955 – PNP wins (18–14 seats), turnout 65.1%
- 1959 – PNP wins (29–16 seats), turnout 66.1%
Submit-Independence:
- 1962 – JLP wins (26–19), turnout 72.9%
- 1967 – JLP wins, turnout 66.4%
- 1972 – PNP wins, turnout 73.3%
- 1976 – PNP wins, turnout 85.2%
- 1980 – JLP wins, turnout 86.9%
- 1983 – JLP wins (PNP boycotted), turnout 53.0%
- 1989 – PNP wins, turnout 77.7%
- 1993 – PNP wins, turnout 60%
- 1997 – PNP wins, turnout 60%
- 2002 – PNP wins, turnout 56.8%
- 2007 – JLP wins, turnout 60.4%
- 2011 – PNP wins, turnout 52.7%
- 2016 – JLP wins, turnout 47.7%
- 2020 – JLP wins, turnout 37.85%
Particulars on Jamaican Common Election Outcomes and Voter Turnout
Under is a historic overview of Jamaican common elections, highlighting the winner, the date of the election, and the voter turnout.
Pre-Independence Elections
- 1944: The primary election underneath common grownup suffrage happened on December 12, 1944. The Jamaica Labour Occasion (JLP), led by Sir Alexander Bustamante, received a sweeping majority, securing 22 of the 32 seats. The voter turnout was 58.7%.
- 1949: The JLP narrowly received re-election on December 20, 1949, with 17 seats to the PNP’s 13, regardless of the PNP receiving a barely increased share of the favored vote. Voter turnout was 65.2%.
- 1955: The Individuals’s Nationwide Occasion (PNP), led by Norman Manley, received for the primary time on January 12, 1955. They secured 18 of the 32 seats, with a voter turnout of 65.1%.
- 1959: The PNP was re-elected on July 28, 1959, successful a wider margin of victory with 29 of the 45 seats. Norman Manley was appointed Jamaica’s first premier. The turnout for this election was 66.1%.
- 1962: Within the election held on April 10, 1962, which decided the federal government for the newly unbiased nation, the JLP received with 26 of the 45 seats. The voter turnout was 72.9%, and Sir Alexander Bustamante grew to become the primary Prime Minister of Jamaica.
Submit-Independence Elections
- 1967: The JLP, underneath the management of Donald Sangster (and later Hugh Shearer), received the February 21, 1967, election with a turnout of 66.4%.
- 1972: The PNP, led by Michael Manley, received the February 29, 1972, election with a voter turnout of 73.3%.
- 1976: In a extremely contentious election on December 15, 1976, the PNP, led by Michael Manley, secured a second time period with a turnout of 85.2%.
- 1980: The JLP, led by Edward Seaga, defeated the PNP in a landslide victory on October 30, 1980, with a voter turnout of 86.9%. This was a very violent election interval.
- 1983: The JLP received the snap election held on December 15, 1983. Nonetheless, the PNP boycotted the election, citing a scarcity of electoral reform. Because of this, the voter turnout was extraordinarily low at simply 53.0%.
- 1989: The PNP, led by Michael Manley, returned to energy within the February 9, 1989, election. The turnout was 77.7%.
- 1993: P.J. Patterson grew to become Prime Minister after Manley’s retirement and led the PNP to victory within the March 30, 1993, election with a 60% turnout.
- 1997: The PNP, underneath P.J. Patterson, received their third consecutive election on December 18, 1997, with a turnout of roughly 60%.
- 2002: P.J. Patterson and the PNP made historical past by successful an unprecedented fourth consecutive time period on October 16, 2002. The voter turnout was 56.8%.
- 2007: The JLP, led by Bruce Golding, lastly broke the PNP’s successful streak within the September 3, 2007, election with a turnout of 60.4%.
- 2011: The PNP, led by Portia Simpson-Miller, received the December 29, 2011, election with a turnout of 52.7%.
- 2016: Andrew Holness led the JLP to a slim victory on February 25, 2016. The turnout was 47.7%, one of many lowest in latest historical past.
- 2020: The JLP, underneath the management of Andrew Holness, secured one other time period within the September 3, 2020, election with a record-low voter turnout of 37.85%.
Sources – Electoral Commission of Jamaica, Cambridge University Press, Wikipedia, University of Central Arkansas, Political Database of the Americas – Pictures – Deposit Photos
