House of Assembly Elections Act

The House of Assembly Elections Act of Dominica, passed in March 2025 and formally known as the House of Assembly Bill Elections 2024, serves as the definitive law regulating how members are elected to the country’s national legislature. It provides the procedures and standards that govern every step in the electoral process for parliamentary representatives, ensuring consistency, legal oversight, and fairness throughout the system.

This legislation updates and replaces earlier electoral laws with a modern framework designed to enhance transparency, procedural clarity, and accessibility across Dominica’s 21 electoral constituencies.

Scope and Purpose of the House of Assembly Elections Act

The Act applies exclusively to the conduct of House of Assembly elections — the process by which one representative is elected from each constituency to sit in Parliament. It defines how elections are called, how candidates are nominated, how polling is managed, and how results are validated and challenged.

By outlining every major phase of the constituency electoral process in legal terms, the Act provides the foundation for a stable and credible parliamentary democracy. It complements the Electoral Commission Act and the Registration of Electors Act, which govern the supervising authority and the maintenance of the electoral roll, respectively.

Key Procedures and Legal Provisions

At the heart of the Act are step-by-step legal instructions covering all essential electoral components. These include:

• Issuance of Writs and Notices: Details how elections are formally declared and made public to electors and political actors.
• Candidate Qualification and Nomination: Specifies eligibility criteria, required forms, deadlines, and public display of candidate lists.
• Voting Procedures: Covers how ballots are cast, supervised, and collected within constituencies; includes protocols for disabled voters and public officers.
• Vote Counting and Reporting: Provides structured guidance for tallying ballots, reporting constituency totals, and transmitting the official result to the Electoral Commission.
• Electoral Infractions: Establishes offences such as voter bribery, ballot fraud, impersonation, and disruption at polling places, with corresponding legal penalties.
• Petitions and Challenges: Lays out the formal process for disputing an election result through the courts, including time limits and required documentation.

Every stage is backed by administrative mechanisms that prioritize transparency and legal enforceability.

Administrative Execution and Supervision

The Act is implemented under the authority of the Electoral Commission, which designates returning officers for each constituency. These officers organize the polling process, manage personnel, and ensure compliance with all legal standards.

Each constituency is equipped with properly trained presiding officers and poll clerks, responsible for supervising polling stations and assisting voters while maintaining the secrecy and integrity of the vote.

All officers are required to swear oaths of neutrality and must follow official procedures for storing ballots, reporting incidents, and compiling polling station reports. The Chief Elections Officer oversees national coordination, while the Commission is responsible for oversight and final certification.

Structural and Procedural Enhancements

The 2025 version of the Act introduces several important revisions aimed at strengthening the electoral process:

• Updated Ballot Standards: Ensures uniform design and presentation of ballot papers to reduce confusion
• Enhanced Voter Access: Mandates that polling locations accommodate persons with physical disabilities and provide assisted voting where necessary
• Improved Timelines: Adjusts the sequence and deadlines for nominations, notices, and objections to allow for better voter preparedness
• Expanded Enforcement Mechanisms: Clarifies the role of police officers at polling stations and grants presiding officers authority to maintain order
• Technological Readiness: While maintaining paper ballots, the Act allows for eventual electronic transmission of results under strict regulatory conditions

These changes reflect extensive consultation with regional electoral experts, legal scholars, and citizens across the country.

Role in Dominica’s Parliamentary Elections

This Act governs the regular five-year elections that select Dominica’s Members of Parliament under the first-past-the-post voting system. Each voter may cast a single ballot in their constituency for the candidate of their choice. The candidate receiving the most votes is declared elected.

The Act does not apply to local council elections or national referenda, which are handled under separate legal instruments. However, it ensures that all parliamentary elections adhere to a standardized, constitutionally valid procedure nationwide.

By detailing how the people’s representatives are chosen, the House of Assembly Elections Act forms a critical element in the machinery of Dominica’s democracy. It secures public participation, protects voting rights, and guides the entire legal process through which parliamentary authority is conferred.