1971 Barbadian general election

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1971 Barbadian general election
Flag of Barbados.svg
  1966 9 September 1971 1976  

24 seats in the House of Assembly
13 seats needed for a majority
Turnout81.62% (Increase2.svg1.92pp)
 First partySecond party
  Errol Barrow 1968 - 2.png Harold St. John.png
Leader Errol Barrow Bernard St. John
Party DLP BLP
Leader's seatSt. JohnChrist Church South Central
(Defeated)
Last election14 seats8 seats
Seats won186
Seat changeIncrease2.svg4Decrease2.svg2
Popular vote53,29539,376
Percentage57.40%42.41%
SwingIncrease2.svg7.84ppIncrease2.svg9.81pp

1971 Barbadian general election.svg
Results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Errol Barrow
DLP

Elected Prime Minister

Errol Barrow
DLP

General elections were held in Barbados on 9 September 1971. [1] Amendments to the electoral system saw the two-member constituencies previously used replaced by single-member first-past-the-post constituencies. [2] This was also the first election in modern Barbadian history to be contested by only two political parties, not including two independent candidates. [3]

Contents

The result was a victory for the Democratic Labour Party, which won 18 of the 24 seats. Despite achieving a larger increase in vote share than its opponent, the Barbados Labour Party lost two seats and its leader, Harold Bernard St. John, was defeated in his constituency of Christ Church South Central. [4] Voter turnout was 81.6%, the highest in the country's history. [1]

Results

House of Assembly of Barbados, 1971.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Democratic Labour Party 53,29557.4018+4
Barbados Labour Party 39,37642.416–2
Independents1740.1900
Total92,845100.00240
Valid votes92,84598.75
Invalid/blank votes1,1741.25
Total votes94,019100.00
Registered voters/turnout115,18981.62
Source: Nohlen

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p90 ISBN   978-0-19-928357-6
  2. Nohlen, p92
  3. "Barbados General Election Results - 9 September 1971". Caribbean Elections. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  4. Caribbean Elections