Elections in Dominica

The House of Assembly is Dominica's national elected body. Parliament can continue for up to five years from its first sitting after dissolution. The President dissolves Parliament under the Constitution, normally on the advice of the Prime Minister, and a General Election must take place within three months after dissolution. A by-election for a vacant Representative seat must normally take place within three months of the vacancy. Dominica does not directly elect the Prime Minister or President: the House elects the President, and the President appoints as Prime Minister the House member who appears to command majority support. Cabinet members are appointed from the House. Senators are appointed or elected according to the constitutional arrangement, and the Speaker or Attorney General may also affect the House's total membership. A person may generally register to vote from age 18 if they are a Dominican citizen or a Commonwealth citizen who has lived in Dominica for at least 12 months. Registration normally also requires three continuous months of residence in the polling district, with a statutory exception for someone whose eighteenth birthday falls within the last three months. Special deeming rules can apply to people abroad in public service or bona fide study. An elector may be registered in only one polling district. Disqualification can result from imprisonment for more than 12 months in Dominica, certain Commonwealth convictions, election-law offences or other statutory conditions. The Electoral Commission and Electoral Office oversee registration and elections. The Chief Elections Officer, also called the Chief Registering Officer in registration matters, supervises the register and polling structure. Registration uses continuous registration, preliminary, revised and supplementary registers, claims and objections, with appeal routes to the Commission. The current Registration of Electors Act 2025 provides for a photo voter identification card with security features and requires confirmation of registration. The latest official registration cycle ran from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2026; current deadlines and registration centres should be confirmed with the Electoral Office. A candidate may stand through a political party or as an independent. The candidate must generally be a Dominican citizen aged at least 21, satisfy the residence or domicile requirement, speak English and meet constitutional and statutory qualifications. Nomination requires a nomination submitted to the Returning Officer, written consent, a qualification declaration, a certificate of candidacy and endorsement by at least six registered electors. The candidate also pays a cash deposit of EC$1,000. The nomination notice must be published at least 10 clear days before nomination day. The poll takes place at least 15 and no more than 21 days after nomination day. If only one candidate is validly nominated, that candidate is returned without a poll. A registered elector votes physically at the designated polling station for the polling district. The ballot permits one candidate choice, and secrecy applies. A voter identification card is used where available; the 2025 Act also allows a passport or other government photo identification with an oath when the card is unavailable. No regular absentee, postal or proxy voting arrangement is evidenced in the reviewed rules, and official guidance states that absentee votes are not available. The Presiding Officer can arrange assistance for a voter with physical incapacity or blindness, including help from a qualified companion. A person who arrives after the close of the poll cannot vote, except where the law permits people already present at the station to complete voting. Counting begins at the polling station after the poll closes. Officials reconcile ballots, deal with rejected or spoiled ballots, complete the Statement of Poll and send the polling-district results through the Returning Officer for the final count. The candidate with the largest vote total is declared elected; a tie is resolved by lot. The Electoral Commission and Chief Elections Officer supervise the process, and accredited observers and media may attend where the law permits. Electronic voting is contemplated by statute, but the reviewed operational evidence supports the current paper-ballot system rather than deployment of electronic voting. An election petition is filed in the High Court. The ordinary deadline is 21 days after the return, while a petition concerning corrupt payment may have a deadline of up to 28 days. The Court can confirm or alter the return or order a new election. Claims and objections concerning the electors' register use separate administrative and Commission appeal procedures. City, town, urban, village and Kalinago Territory Council elections operate under separate local legislation and should not be confused with elections for the national House of Assembly. No voter registration or voting fee is established in the reviewed material, while the candidate deposit is specifically set at EC$1,000.