Elections in Trinidad and Tobago

The House of Representatives has 41 constituencies: 39 in Trinidad and 2 in Tobago. Each constituency elects one representative under the first-past-the-post system, so the candidate with the highest number of votes wins and the result does not distribute seats in proportion to the national vote. The Senate is different: its 31 members are appointed rather than directly elected. The President appoints 16 Senators on the advice of the Prime Minister, 6 on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and 9 independent Senators. Parliament and the Senate form an Electoral College that elects the President by secret ballot; the general electorate does not elect the President directly. The EBC reviews parliamentary constituency boundaries at least every 2 to 5 years after its last report. The Constitution requires the electorate in each island to remain broadly within 90% to 110% of the island average. Local government elections use 141 electoral districts across 7 cities or boroughs and 7 regional municipalities in Trinidad. Tobago has 15 Tobago House of Assembly, or THA, districts, each electing one Assemblyman. Mayors, aldermen and councillors are part of local government, while the THA governs Tobago through its elected Assemblymen and, for the 2026–2030 term, 3 appointed Councillors and a Presiding Officer. A person must register with the EBC to vote. Registration is voluntary and non-registration is not penalised. Registration takes place personally at a Registration Area Office. People aged 15 to 17 may register with identification, but they do not appear as electors entitled to vote until they reach 18. The EBC uses annual, preliminary, revised and supplemental lists. The Qualifying Date is the ninth day of the registration period; a person can usually correct an address, name or missing-list entry within the applicable period. For parliamentary elections, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago may qualify from age 18 after living in the relevant constituency for at least 2 months before the Qualifying Date. A Commonwealth citizen generally needs at least 1 year of legal residence in Trinidad and Tobago and 2 months in the constituency. A non-Commonwealth citizen generally needs at least 5 years of legal residence in Trinidad and Tobago and 2 months in the constituency, and may vote only in qualifying city or borough elections in Trinidad, not in parliamentary or THA elections. Disqualifications can include specified mental-health status, a death sentence or imprisonment exceeding 12 months, and certain electoral convictions. A National ID card is preferred at the polling station. A person whose name appears on the electors list or unit register may still be permitted to vote without the card after a photograph check and completion of Form 53, the Oath of Elector without Identification Card. A poll card helps with identification and location but its absence alone does not exclude an eligible elector. At an ordinary polling station, voting normally runs from 06:00 to 18:00. Anyone already waiting at 18:00 may vote, but no new voter may join the line after that time. The Poll Clerk checks identification and the register, the Deputy Presiding Officer checks electoral ink and issues the ballot with an X-stamp, and the elector marks the X beside one candidate's symbol. The required electoral ink is applied before the ballot enters the box; refusing it prevents voting. Police, Defence Force and Prison Service personnel, EBC staff, election officers, polling agents, candidates and agents outside their own district, hospital or prison patients, flight crew and offshore petroleum workers may qualify as Special Electors. They apply between publication of the Election Notice and Nomination Day and vote at special polling stations before the ordinary poll. Blind, visually impaired or physically incapacitated electors may use an approved template or assistance under the secrecy requirements. Campaigning, questioning someone about their vote or influencing electors is prohibited inside a polling station and within 100 yards of it. Bribery, treating, undue influence and camera or mobile-phone use connected with voting are also prohibited. The President begins a parliamentary election by issuing a Proclamation. Writs of Election then go to Returning Officers, who manage nominations, polling, counting and the declaration of results in their constituencies. The election notice appears in the Gazette and at least one daily newspaper. Nomination Day occurs at least 14 days after the writ, and Election Day is generally a Monday at least 21 days after Nomination Day. A House candidate must be a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago aged at least 18 and meet the residence or domicile requirements. Parliamentary candidates need at least 6 registered electors from the constituency as nominators. The parliamentary deposit is $5,000, the maximum election expense is $50,000 and the candidate's personal expense limit is $5,000. Municipal and THA candidates generally face a $2,000 deposit and $25,000 election-expense limit. An Election Agent must file the expense return within at least 42 days after the result declaration, with bills, receipts and declarations. Polling-station staff count the ballots while agents observe. A candidate or political party may request a general recount under Election Rule 101, normally by 12:00 on the day after the result declaration. The recount includes rejected ballots. An election petition is heard by the High Court. After a parliamentary result, the President appoints as Prime Minister a House member who leads the party with majority support, or, where no clear majority or leader exists, the person most likely to command House support. Election schedules and participation vary by election type. The parliamentary election on 28 April 2025 had 161 candidates and 2,353 polling stations in 1,679 polling divisions; the reported result was UNC 26 seats, PNM 13 and TPP 2, with three constituency recounts. The 2026 THA election on 12 January 2026 had 53,239 registered electors and turnout of 50.69%; TPP won all 15 districts in the first count, and two recounts did not change the result. The 14 August 2023 local government election covered 141 districts, with turnout of 30.34%.