It has been 9 months since the conclusion of the 2020 General Elections, and we can mine the data to
see what it says about voter behaviour.
In the 1 st elections after independence in 1984, approximately 78% of the 24,508 voters participated. In
subsequent elections, it held steady at 67%, thereabouts for the 2 nd and 3 rd poll, increased slightly for the
4 th (68%) then fell to 64% in the 5 th . It plunged to 59% in the 6 th election and soared to a high of 85% for
the 7 th dropped to 69% for the 8 th and dropped again to its lowest point ever of 58% for the 9 th . I have
presented the data in percentages, but I must note that the voter register almost doubled in the period
from 24,504 persons in 1984 to 48,713 in 2020, meaning that a lot more people are voting.
For this discussion, we will focus on the behaviour displayed in the last two elections, i.e those of 2015
and 2020.
In 2015, 79.5% of the people of Constituency 7 voted. It was the highest percentage turn out, followed
by 78.4% in Constituency 5. Four other constiutuencies saw 70+% voting: Constituency 6 at 77%,
Constituency 10 at 76%; Constituency 3 with 75% and Constituency 2 with 72%. Constituencies 1, 11 and
9 had 69%, 68% and 62% respectively and in Constituency 8, only 58% of the voters cast a vote. There
were a total of 42,149 voters on the register in 2015.
In 2020, Constituency 5 saw the highest turnout at 68%, followed by Constituency 7 with 67%, then
Constituency 4 with 66%. Constituency 8 had 64% and 63% was achieved in Constituency 11.
Constituency 1, 2 and 10 had 57%, 57% and 50% respectively. In Constituencies 3 and 9, less than 50%
(48% and 44%) voters turned out.
Nevis, since Independence, has had 8 elections. In 1987, 63% voted followed by 66% in 1992, 65% in
1997 and 2001, 68% in 2006, 81% in 2011, 73% in 2013 and 59% in 2017. Again, while these are
percentages, there was growth in the register from 4,741 voters in 1987 to 11,303 in 2017. Again, we
will detail 2013 and 2017 election results.
In 2013, District 4 had a 78% turnout, followed closely by District 2 with 77%. In District 1, 70% voted
and in District 3, it was 68%. District 5 was the lowest at 64%.
In 2017, for Districts 2 and 3, 61% of the voters turned out to vote, followed by 59% in Districts 1 and 4,
and 55% participation in District 5.
Debate, if you will, what was driving the electoral fervour in 2010/2011 when over 80% of voters cast
ballots. Discuss, too, what transpired in the general election of 2004 that caused 4 of every 10 voters not
to bother. Predict if you can, what will happen in the upcoming Nevis Island Election due by 2022. But
as you pontificate, recognize that the last full register, published in 2021, saw 12,357 registrants in Nevis
(239 of whom have been challenged); and that registration since December 2020 has been intensifying.
Constituencies are of uneven numbers of Voters. Some argue that equalizing voter numbers per
constituency gives equal value to each vote across the entire system. Perhaps it does; but the voter
turnout also adds value. How it does is so is also open to debate. In some jurisdictions, an otherwise
valid election can be legally voided by low voter turn-out.
With your help, the best we can do is ensure that each person gets only one vote and in the right place.
