Bahamian general election, 1962

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General elections were held in the Bahamas on 26 November 1962, [1] the first under universal suffrage. [2] Whilst the Progressive Liberal Party won the most votes, the United Bahamian Party won the most seats, largely as a result of gerrymandering. [3]

Progressive Liberal Party

The Progressive Liberal Party is a populist and social liberal party in the Bahamas. The PLP lies on the centre-left of the political spectrum. Philip "Brave" Davis is the leader of the party after Perry Christie lost his bid for re-election as a representative in the 2017 election.

The United Bahamian Party (UBP) was a major political party in the Bahamas in the 1950s and 1960s. Representing the interests of the white oligarchy known as the Bay Street Boys, it was the ruling party between 1958 and 1967. It was led by Roland Theodore Symonette.

Gerrymandering manipulation of electoral borders to favor certain electoral outcomes, or an electoral district thus manipulated

Gerrymandering is a practice intended to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries. The resulting district is known as a gerrymander ; however, that word is also a verb for the process. The term gerrymandering has negative connotations. Two principal tactics are used in gerrymandering: "cracking" and "packing". A third tactic, shown in the top-left diagram in the graphic to the right, is homogenization of all districts.

Contents

Results

PartyVotes%Seats
Progressive Liberal Party 32,26143.98
United Bahamian Party 26,50036.118
Labour Party 3,0494.11
Independents11,51615.76
Invalid/blank votes--
Total73,32610033
Source: Hughes [4]

Elected MPs

NumberNamePartyDistrictEthnicity
1 Stafford Sands United Bahamian Party New Providence - Nassau City (first place) White
2 Raymond W. Sawyer United Bahamian Party New Providence - Nassau City (second place) White
3 Roland Symonette United Bahamian Party New Providence East Central (first place) White
4 Eugene Dupuch Independent New Providence East Central (second place) White
5 Arthur Hanna Progressive Liberal Party New Providence East (first place) Black
6 Geoffrey Johnstone United Bahamian Party New Providence East (second place) White
7 Paul Adderley Progressive Liberal Party New Providence West (first place) Black
8 Milo Butler Progressive Liberal Party New Providence West (second place) Black
9 Lynden Pindling Progressive Liberal Party New Providence South Central (first place) Black
10 Orville Turnquest Progressive Liberal Party New Providence South Central (second place) Black
11 S.S. Bethel Progressive Liberal Party New Providence South (first place) Black
12 Randol Fawlkes Labour Party New Providence South (second place) Black
13 Harold Degregory Independent Grand Bahama & Bimini White
14 Clarence Bain Progressive Liberal Party Andros & Berry Islands (first place) Black
15 John Stevenson Progressive Liberal Party Andros & Berry Islands (second place) Black
16 Leonard Thompson Independent Abaco (first place) White
17 F.H. Christie United Bahamian Party Abaco (second place) White
18 J.H. Bethell United Bahamian Party Abaco (third place) White
19 J.T. Albury United Bahamian Party Harbour Island (first place) White
19 G.D. Foster Clarke United Bahamian Party Harbour Island (second place) White
20 Alvin Braynen Independent Harbour Island (third place) White
21 George Baker United Bahamian Party Eleuthera (first place) White
22 Charles Trevor Kelly United Bahamian Party Eleuthera (second place) White
23 Useph Baker United Bahamian Party Eleuthera (third place) White
24 G.K. Kelly United Bahamian Party Cat Island White
25 Harold G. Christie United Bahamian Party Cat Island White
26 Robert Symonette United Bahamian Party Exuma (first place) White
27 F.H. Brown United Bahamian Party Exuma (second place) White
28 Roy M. Solomon United Bahamian Party Rum Cay & San Salvador White
29 Peter Graham United Bahamian Party Long Island (first place) White
30 Donald D’albenas United Bahamian Party Long Island (second place) White
31 B.T. Kelly United Bahamian Party Crooked Islands, Long Cay, & Acklins White
32 Bernard Dupuch Independent Mayaguana & Inagua Islands White
Source: Hughes

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1972 Bahamian general election

General elections were held in the Bahamas on 19 September 1972. The result was a victory for the Progressive Liberal Party, which won 57.9% of the vote and 29 of the 38 seats. Voter turnout was 88%.

1967 Bahamian general election

General elections were held in the Bahamas on 10 January 1967. The result was a tie between the Progressive Liberal Party and the United Bahamian Party, both of which won 18 seats. In a reversal of the last election, this time the PLP won fewer votes but was able to form the country's first black-led government with the support of the sole Labour Party MP Randol Fawkes.

1968 Bahamian general election

Early general elections were held in the Bahamas on 10 April 1968. The result was a victory for the Progressive Liberal Party, which won 29 seats. Voter turnout was 85.5%.

1977 Bahamian general election

General elections were held in the Bahamas on 19 July 1977. The result was a victory for the Progressive Liberal Party, which won 30 of the 38 seats. Voter turnout was 92.6%.

1982 Bahamian general election

General elections were held in the Bahamas on 10 June 1982. The result was a victory for the Progressive Liberal Party, which won 32 of the 43 seats. Voter turnout was 89.8%.

1987 Bahamian general election

General elections were held in the Bahamas on 19 June 1987. The result was a victory for the Progressive Liberal Party, which won 31 of the 49 seats. Voter turnout was 87.9%.

1992 Bahamian general election

General elections were held in the Bahamas on 19 August 1992. The ruling Progressive Liberal Party won only 44.7% of the popular vote and 16 seats in the House of Assembly. The opposition Free National Movement won 55% of the popular vote and 33 of the 49 seats. Voter turnout was 91.1%.

The Labour Party was a minor political party in the Bahamas. In the 1962 general elections it won a single seat, taken by Randol Fawkes. Fawkes retained his seat in the 1967 elections, in which the United Bahamian Party and the Progressive Liberal Party won 18 seats each. Although the UBP had won more votes, Fawkes supported the PLP, allowing them to form a government. Fawkes retained his seat again in the 1968 elections, but the party did not contest the 1972 elections.

The Commonwealth Labour Party was a minor political party in the Bahamas. It contested the 1972 general elections, in which it received only 254 votes and failed to win a seat.

The Bahamian Democratic Party was a political party in the Bahamas. It contested the 1977 general elections, in which it received 26.9% of the votes and won six seats, becoming the largest opposition party in Parliament. However, it did not run in the 1982 elections.

References

  1. General elections in the Bahamas: May 7, 2012 OAS
  2. Brief History Of the Voting In The Bahamas Government of Bahamas
  3. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p73 ISBN   978-0-19-928357-6
  4. Hughes, C (1981) Race and Politics in the Bahamas ISBN   978-0-312-66136-6