Eligibility Exception:
insanity, electoral offence, sentence of death or imprisonment exceeding 12 months
Right Vote Foreign Res:
Citizens from specific countries only
Registration Type:
Formal registration in office
Registration Basis:
Residence requirement
Election Management & Enforcement
Nameof EMB:
Elections & Boundaries Commission
Independent EMB:
Yes
EMBNominations:
5 members selected by President, after consultation with Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition
EMBTenure:
5 years
Who Runs Election:
Election Management Body
Nameof Elect Enforcement Body:
Court of Appeal
Candidacy & Campaign Rules
Debate Average:
1
Debate Format:
The Ttrinidad and Tobago Debates Commission has successfully organized live televised debates for the Local Government elections in 2010 and 2013 as well the Tobago House of Assembly elections in 2013.
Electoral System & Organisation
Elect System Main Election:
Plurality
Main Election Type:
General
Main Election Cycle:
5
Numb Round Main Election:
One
Voting Machine:
None
Vote IDRequired:
ID check compulsory
Polling Card:
Polling card sent but not compulsory
National Holiday Elect Day:
Never
Districting Source:
Other Independent Body
Districting Flexibility:
There is an Elections and Boundaries Commission, consisting of a chairman and not less than two nor more than four other members. It should review the number and boundaries of the constituencies into which Trinidad and Tobago is divided and submit to the Prime Minister and the Speaker for presentation to the House of Representatives reports either: a) showing the constituencies into which it recommends that Trinidad and Tobago should be divided in order to give effect to the rules set out in the Second Schedule; or b) stating that, in the opinion of the Commission, no alteration is required to the existing number of boundaries of constituencies in order to give effect to the said rules. 70. (1) Trinidad and Tobago shall be divided into thirty-six constituencies or such other number as may be provided for by an Order made by the President in accordance with the provisions of this Part and each such constituency shall return one member to the House of Representatives.
Polling Station
Average Voterby Polling Station:
500
Polling Station Numbers:
2199
Listof Polling Station Buildings:
public or community owned with adequate space
Accessibility Requirement:
Party to UNCRPD
Vote Receipt:
No receipt
Count Locallyor Centrally:
locally
Manualor Automatic Count:
manual
Nature Counting Personnel:
presiding officer
Ballot Paper
Ballot Type:
Paper
Ballot Logos:
Freely Allowed
Orderof Candidatesor Parties:
alphabetical
Remote Voting
Temporal Remote Voting:
No
Geographical Remote Voting:
No
Personal Remote Voting:
No
Mobile Polling Stations:
No
Special Needs
Provision First Time Voters:
voter education poster outlining the complete voting process created by the Elections and Boundaries Commission of Trinidad and Tobago.
Provision Illiterate Voters:
Representation of the People Act (1967, last amended 2000). Registration rules, section 15 states: (1) Where a person who is being registered is unable to read, the Assistant Registration Officer or the Authorised Registering Officer shall, subject to subrule (2), read to him the contents of his registration record. (2) Before reading the contents of a registration record as in subrule (1), the Assistant Registration Officer or the Authorised Registering Officer shall inform the person who is being registered that the contents will, should he so desire, be read to him in the presence of a witness of his own choice (4) Where a person who is being registered is unable to sign his name because of illiteracy or physical disability he shall, subject to subrule (5), make an impression in ink on the original and the duplicate of his registration record as follows: (a) with his right thumb; (b) with his left thumb, should he not have a right thumb; or (c) with any other finger, should he not have any thumb.
Provision Blind Voters:
Representation of the People Act (1967, last amended 2000). Registration rules, section 8, subsection 3 states: Where a person wishing to be registered is physically incapacitated, he shall notify the Registration Officer of the registration area in which he is resident of such infirmity or incapacity and such Registration Officer shall go to the address at which such person is resident and shall effect the registration of such persons in accordance with these Rules. Election rules, section 48 states: (1) Subject to rules 38 to 47, the Presiding Officer, on application of an elector who is incapacitated by blindness, visual impairment or by other physical cause and who is, therefore unable to vote in the manner directed by these Rules, shall require the elector to swear an oath in the form set out as Form No. 58 or 59 in the Prescribed Forms Rules, as the case may be, and on making such oath the elector shall be allowed to cast his vote with the use of a template or the assistance of a companion of his choice. (2) Where a blind or visually impaired elector opts to vote with the use of a template, the Presiding Officer shall provide him with a template to assist him in marking his ballot paper. (3) For the purposes of these Rules “template” means a pocket-shaped cardboard device opened at the top and the right into which a ballot paper is inserted in such a way that the holes in the template correspond with the circles opposite the names of the candidates
Provision Deaf Voters:
Representation of the People Act (1967, last amended 2000). Registration rules, section 8, subsection 3 states: Where a person wishing to be registered is physically incapacitated, he shall notify the Registration Officer of the registration area in which he is resident of such infirmity or incapacity and such Registration Officer shall go to the address at which such person is resident and shall effect the registration of such persons in accordance with these Rules. Election rules, section 48 states: (1) Subject to rules 38 to 47, the Presiding Officer, on application of an elector who is incapacitated by blindness, visual impairment or by other physical cause and who is, therefore unable to vote in the manner directed by these Rules, shall require the elector to swear an oath in the form set out as Form No. 58 or 59 in the Prescribed Forms Rules, as the case may be, and on making such oath the elector shall be allowed to cast his vote with the use of a template or the assistance of a companion of his choice. (2) Where a blind or visually impaired elector opts to vote with the use of a template, the Presiding Officer shall provide him with a template to assist him in marking his ballot paper. (3) For the purposes of these Rules “template” means a pocket-shaped cardboard device opened at the top and the right into which a ballot paper is inserted in such a way that the holes in the template correspond with the circles opposite the names of the candidates
Provision Motor Handicap Voters:
Representation of the People Act (1967, last amended 2000). Registration rules, section 8, subsection 3 states: Where a person wishing to be registered is physically incapacitated, he shall notify the Registration Officer of the registration area in which he is resident of such infirmity or incapacity and such Registration Officer shall go to the address at which such person is resident and shall effect the registration of such persons in accordance with these Rules. Election rules, section 83 states: (1) Where the Special Presiding Officer is of the opinion that a special elector is physically incapacitated by blindness or otherwise to the extent that he is unable to record his vote on the ballot paper or to insert his ballot into the special ballot box without the assistance of another person, the Special Presiding Officer shall allow that special elector to vote with the assistance of a companion who is of the age of eighteen years or over, in the presence of the Presiding Officer, after the companion has made a declaration of secrecy in the form set out as Form No. 51 in the Prescribed Forms Rules. (2) Where a special elector is unable to sign the declaration of identity by reason of illiteracy or physical incapacitation, the declaration of identity shall be signed by a companion who is of the age of eighteen years or over and who shall indicate in block letters the identity and address of the special elector.
Targeted Initiatives
History Major Changes:
The 1946 elections were the first with universal adult suffrage.
Transparency Initiative:
Eachcandidateorhisagentmayappointoneagentto be present at the final count or the check of the result of the poll and to attend the declaration of the result of the poll.