2025 Jamaican general election
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All 63 seats in the House of Representatives 32 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||
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Registered | 2,077,799 | ||||||||||||||||||
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General elections are scheduled to be held in Jamaica on 3 September 2025.[1][2] Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the date of the election at a party meeting held on 10 August 2025 at Half-Way-Tree.[1] The incumbent government Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is seeking a third term in office against the opposition People’s National Party (PNP).[3] Jamaicans will head to the polls on 3 September 2025 to vote for their respective Members of Parliament who were nominated on 18 August 2025.
Background
[edit]Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte said that Jamaica would transition to being a republic before the next general election.[4] In December 2024 a bill was tabled on transitioning to becoming a republic. The bill required review by joint committees, followed by a parliamentary vote and a referendum to approve the change.[5] It was announced in March 2025 that a referendum would not occur before the general election.[6]
Preselection contests were held in March 2025.[7]
Timeline
[edit]- 21 September 2023 – Speaker Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert resigns as MP for Trelawny Southern.[8]
- 26 February 2024 – local elections were held.
- 9 March 2025 – The Jamaica Patriotic Movement announced support for the People’s National Party.[9]
- 10 August 2025 - Prime Minister announces Nomination day to be on 18 August and Elections to follow on 3 September 2025.[10]
Electoral system
[edit]The 63 members of the House of Representatives are elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting.[11] Voters must be 18 years and over and be a citizen of Jamaica or a Commonwealth citizen who is resident in Jamaica at the date of registration and has been a resident for at least twelve months prior to the date of registration.[12]
The leader of the party commanding a majority of support in the House of Representatives is called on by the Governor General to form a government as Prime Minister,[13] while the leader of the largest group or coalition not in government becomes the Leader of the Opposition.[14]
Members not seeking re-election
[edit]Member | Constituency | Party | First elected | Date announced | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lisa Hanna | Saint Ann South Eastern | People's National Party | 2007 | 9 August 2022[15] |
Campaign
[edit]The election will be decided in marginal seats.[16]
Candidates
[edit]There are 189 candidates.[17]
Opinion polls
[edit]Date | Pollster | Sample size |
JLP | PNP | Other[a] | Non-voting | Lead |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 – 11 August 2025 | Don Anderson[24] | 1,008 | 33.9 | 34.7 | 14.3 | 17.1 | 0.8 |
18 May – 7 June 2025 | Don Anderson[25] | 1,033 | 29.6 | 32.6 | 18.4 | 19.4 | 3.0 |
2 - 17 May 2025 | Bluedot[26] | 1,618 | 35 | 31 | 34[27] | – | 4.0 |
27 September – 3 October 2024 | RJR Gleaner Group/Don Anderson poll[28] | 1,012 | 43.5 | 56.5 | – | – | 13 |
6 – 19 September 2024 | Nationwide/Bluedot poll[29] | 1,246 | 53 | 47 | – | – | 6 |
June 2024 | RJR Gleaner Group/Don Anderson poll[30] | – | 44.0 | 56 | – | – | 12 |
4 – 12 April 2024 | RJR Gleaner Group/Don Anderson poll[31] | 1,057 | 44.1 | 55.9 | – | – | 11.8 |
26 February 2024 | 2024 Jamaican local elections | – | 47.8 | 51.8 | 0.6 | – | 4 |
24 November – 7 December 2023 | RJR Gleaner Group/Don Anderson poll[32] | 1,015 | 22 | 25 | 18 | 35 | 3 |
17 – 26 February 2023 | RJR Gleaner Group/Don Anderson poll[33] | 1,002 | 27.9 | 28.1 | 19 | 25 | 0.2 |
13 September 2022 | RJR Gleaner Group/Don Anderson poll[34] | - | 31 | 18 | 17 | 34 | 13 |
22 September 2021 | RJR Gleaner Group/Don Anderson poll[35] | 1,003 | 26 | 15 | 26 | 31 | 11 |
3 September 2020 | 2020 general election | – | 57.1 | 42.8 | 0.1 | – | 14.3 |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Includes "Don't Know/Unsure"
References
[edit]- ^ a b "General election set for September 3 as parties battle over Jamaica's future". The Gleaner. 10 August 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ^ McEwan, Janiel (30 January 2025). "Election showdown and the future". Jamaica Obsever. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "Strategy and message for the 2025 general election". The Gleaner. 9 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "Jamaica to transition to republic status by next general election —Malahoo Forte". Jamaica Observer. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ Banatvala, Steffie (13 December 2024). "Jamaica introduces bill to remove King Charles as head of state and become a republic". The Independent. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "No Referendum at Time of General Election". Jamaica Information Service. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ^ "Fight for JLP ticket in Clarendon North Western, Manchester Southern goes to delegates March 16". The Gleaner. 9 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "Dalrymple-Philibert confident in JLP councillor-candidates for Trelawny Southern". The Gleaner. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Jamaica Patriotic Movement makes demands". Jamaica Observer. 9 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Gl
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Electoral System". Inter-Parliamentary Union.
- ^ "Registration Procedures". Electoral Commission of Jamaica. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "The Executive". Jamaica Information Service. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "The Opposition". Jamaica Information Service. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Why Lisa Hanna is leaving representational politics". The Gleaner. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Seat strategy for 2025". The Gleanerlanguage=en. 9 March 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "189 candidates to contest general election on Sept 3 - Jamaica Observer". 19 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ PNP Jamaica (7 August 2025). "PNP Kingston & St Andrew Meeting - Final Rally". X. Archived from the original on 7 August 2025. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ Hines, Horace (29 February 2024). "'I misspoke' Meadows apologises for glorifying scamming; blames comments on political pressure". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ^ "McDaniel to represent JLP in general election for South Trelawny". The Gleaner. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ^ Ellis, Toriann (10 May 2025). "Campbell: PNP not seeking to govern to enrich members". Our Today. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Dr Garfield James Wins JLP Candidate Selection Vote In Westmoreland Western". Radio Jamaica News. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ Lewis, Anthony (28 January 2025). "Holness: JLP yet to decide on Westmoreland Western representative". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Dead heat: PNP, JLP neck and neck in party standings". RJR. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "PNP's lead over JLP narrows - poll". RJR. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ "JLP Leads By 4%; PNP Closing Gap". Nationwide Radio JM. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ 2% OTH, 32% UND
- ^ @AmericaElige (25 November 2024). "Jamaica, RJRGLEANER/Don Anderson poll" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @AmericaElige (25 November 2024). "Jamaica, Nationwide/Bluedot poll" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @AmericaElige (2 August 2024). "Jamaica, RJRGLEANER/Don Anderson poll" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @AmericaElige (15 May 2024). "Jamaica, RJRGLEANER/Don Anderson poll" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "PNP holds lead". The Gleaner. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "Dead heat". The Gleaner. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ "JLP in lead". The Gleaner. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ "Poll: JLP now nine percentage points ahead of PNP". The Gleaner. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2023.