Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Here is what to bring, what not to wear, where to go if your card has expired, and what happens the moment you step inside.
Polling stations across Antigua and Barbuda open at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 30, and close at 6:00 p.m. sharp. Anyone in line before 6:00 p.m. will still be allowed to vote. Here is everything you need to know before you go.
What you need to bring. Your voter identification card is your entry point. Without it, you cannot cast a ballot at your assigned polling station. Check that your card is valid before you leave home.
If your voter ID card has expired. You are not automatically turned away. The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission is issuing Special Identification Cards today at Registration Units within each constituency. Those units open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m., so you can sort this before you vote. To get a Special ID you need to bring a valid government-issued identification and a passport-sized photograph. The Special ID will be collected at the polling station after you vote and will not be returned to you.
If your voter ID card has been lost or stolen. This is handled separately and at a different location. You need to go to ABEC’s headquarters at the David Shoul Building on Queen Elizabeth Highway, which is the former U.S. Embassy building, now housing the Passport Office, on the second floor. Bring a valid government-issued ID and a passport-sized photograph. The same opening hours apply: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Finding your polling station. ABEC published the full list of polling stations at abec.gov.ag, and the commission has flagged that several long-standing venues have been relocated for this election. If you voted in the same place in 2023, do not assume you are going to the same place today. In St. John’s City West for example, voters who previously cast ballots at the Wesleyan Holiness Church on Bishopsgate Street are now split by surname: A to G go to the Zion Church of God on North Street, and H to Z go to the Bethel Anglican Church on Lower St. Mary’s Street. Check the full list at the ABEC website before you leave.
What happens when you get there. A presiding officer will check your ID against the electoral roll. Once confirmed, you receive a single ballot paper listing the candidates standing in your constituency. You take the ballot to a private booth, mark an X or a tick next to the name of one candidate only, fold the ballot, and place it in the sealed ballot box. That is it. If you are unsure about any part of the process, you are entitled to ask the presiding officer for guidance before you mark your ballot.
One vote, one mark. Marking more than one candidate will invalidate your ballot. It will still be counted and recorded, but it will not be attributed to anyone. If you make an error before depositing your ballot, tell the presiding officer immediately.
What you cannot bring inside. Cell phones and smart devices are not permitted inside the voting area. Arrangements will be made for them to be held upon entry. Do not attempt to photograph your ballot or anyone else’s inside the station.
What you cannot wear. Party colours, branded clothing, and any campaign material are prohibited at polling stations. The rule extends to within 100 yards of a polling station, which in practice means you should leave the campaign shirt at home entirely. This applies to voters, not just campaign workers.
No alcohol today. Under the Representation of the People Act, no intoxicating liquor can be sold, offered for sale, or given away anywhere in Antigua and Barbuda during polling hours — from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Any premises that breaches this faces a fine of $3,000 and up to twelve months’ imprisonment under the Act.
Your employer must let you vote. The Representation of the People Amendment Act prohibits employers from penalising employees for taking time to vote. No deduction from pay, no penalty for absence during the period needed to cast a ballot.
After the polls close. Ballots are counted at the constituency level and the count is open to party agents and accredited observers. Results are declared by the returning officer for each constituency. With seventeen seats in play, a majority requires nine, and most results are expected on the night.
