Jamaica

House of Representatives Senate

House of Representatives

Political system
Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament
Bicameral
IPU membership
Yes
»

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s)
03 Sep 2020
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
13 Aug 2020
Timing of election
Early elections
Expected date of next elections
30 Sep 2025
Number of seats at stake
63
Scope of elections
Full renewal

Candidates

Total number of candidates
139
Number of male candidates
105
Number of female candidates
34
Percentage of women candidates
24.5%

Voter turnout

Registered voters
1,913,410
Voters
724,317
Voter turnout
37.9%

Results

About the election

Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won a resounding victory, with 49 seats in the 63-member House of Representatives. This was up from 32 in 2016. The People's National Party (PNP), led by Mr. Peter Phillips, took the remaining seats. A record 18 women (up from 11) were elected. They included the Prime Minister’s wife, Juliet Holness, who secured a second term. On 7 September, Governor General Patrick Allen swore in Mr. Holness as the Prime Minister for a third term.

On 15 September, the newly elected House of Representatives elected former Speaker Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert as its Speaker, and Juliet Holness as its Deputy Speaker. It is the first time in the Jamaican Parliament’s history that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker have both been women. The Senate (a 21-member appointed chamber renewed at the same time as the House of Representatives) re-elected Mr. Tom Tavares Finson as its President.

The elections had been due between February and June 2021 but were moved to September 2020. Prime Minister Holness stated that the rise in COVID-19 cases and the devastating effects of the pandemic on employment in the country made it necessary that he “seek another mandate from the people”. During election campaigning, the JLP promised more housing for civil servants and young Jamaicans, the expansion of broadband in public schools and the building of a national broadband infrastructure. The elections were held amid the COVID-19 pandemic and recorded a low turnout. Only 37.85 per cent of some 1.9 million registered voters turned out at the polls, down from 48.37 per cent in 2016.

Number of parties winning seats
2
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition
77.8%
Alternation of power after elections
No
Number of parties in government
1
Names of parties in government
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group Total
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) 49
People's National Party (PNP) 14
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
45
Number of women elected
18
Percentage of women elected
28.6%
Women Directly Elected
18
Sources

New legislature

Total number of men after the election
45
Total number of women after the election
18
Percentage of women after the election
28.6%
First-term parliamentarians
No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
No information available
Date of the first session
15 Sep 2020

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert (Female)
Date of birth: 1956
Date of election
15 Sep 2020

Historical data for IPU membership

Export XLS file XLS Export-Grey CSV
Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No