1946 Antiguan general election

General elections were held for the first time in Antigua and Barbuda on 26 July 1946.[1] The elections were held under a limited franchise and only those who owned property were permitted to stand for election to the legislature. The Antigua Trades and Labour Union (ATLU) chose five of its members who satisfied the property criteria to stand as labour representatives. All were elected as the union-backed candidates received 82% of the vote.[2]

1946 Antiguan general election

26 July 1946 1951 →

All 5 seats in the Legislative Council
3 seats needed for a majority
  First party
 
Party ATLU
Seats won 5
Popular vote 7,737
Percentage 81.53%

Administrator before election

F. S. Harcourt

Subsequent Administrator

Leslie Stuart Greening

One of the five was union leader and future Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Vere Bird, who first entered the Antigua and Barbuda legislature through a by-election in 1945.

Results

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The five union-backed candidates won their seats by large margins.[1]

PartyVotes%Seats
ATLU-affiliated candidates7,73781.535
Other candidates1,75318.470
Total9,490100.005
Source: University of California[2]

Aftermath

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Following the elections, Bird was chosen by the Governor of Antigua to sit on the Executive Council of the colony.

References

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  1. ^ a b Brian Dyde (2000) A History of Antigua: The Unsuspected Isle, Macmillan Caribbean, p237
  2. ^ a b The Origins and Development of Political Parties in the British West Indies, Volume 2, University of California, p580