2020 Jamaican general election

2020 Jamaican general election

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All 63 seats in the House of Representatives
32 seats needed for a majority
Turnout37.85% (Decrease 10.52pp)
  First party Second party
 
Andrew Holness, 2020 (cropped).jpg
Peter David Phillips, 2015 (cropped).jpg
Leader Andrew Holness Peter Phillips
Party JLP PNP
Last election 50.08%, 32 seats 49.71%, 31 seats
Seats won 49 14
Seat change Increase 17 Decrease 17
Popular vote 408,376 305,950
Percentage 57.07% 42.76%
Swing Increase 6.99pp Decrease 6.95pp

Results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Andrew Holness
JLP

Prime Minister after election

Andrew Holness
JLP

General elections were held in Jamaica on Thursday, 3 September 2020[1] to elect 63 members of Parliament. As the constitution stipulates a five-year parliamentary term,[2] the next elections were not expected until between 25 February and 10 June 2021. However, Prime Minister Andrew Holness called early elections to ensure a united response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On the advice of Holness, Governor General Patrick Allen dissolved Parliament on 13 August 2020.[3]

The result was a landslide victory for the ruling Jamaica Labour Party,[4] which received 57% of the vote and won 49 seats; the People's National Party remained the opposition party, losing 16 seats.[5] Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2019–2020 dengue fever epidemic, voter turnout was only 38%,[6] the lowest in an election since 1983.[7]

  1. ^ "Jamaica Votes In General Election On September 3, 2020" (Archived 12 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine). Jamaica Gleaner, 11 August 2020.
  2. ^ "The Legislature". Jamaica Information Service. Archived from the original on 8 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  3. ^ "It's Sept 3". Jamaica Observer. 12 August 2020. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Political Tsunami turns Jamaica green with massive JLP victory". Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Jamaica's Ruling Party Claims Landslide Victory in Thursday's General Election". Voice of America. 4 September 2020. Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.; Charles, Jacqueline (3 September 2020). "Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Jamaica Labor Party retain power in 'tsunami victory'". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.; "Jamaica election: Andrew Holness' JLP re-elected amid rise in Covid-19 cases". BBC News. 4 September 2020. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.; Chappell, Kate (3 September 2020). "Jamaica's ruling party claims re-election victory in landslide win". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  6. ^ "JLP Trounces PNP 49 to 14 Seats" (Archived 5 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine). The Gleaner, 3 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Jamaica Election Centre". www.caribbeanelections.com. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.