NOMINATION DAY EXPLAINED

What it means and what happens

Tody is nomination Day in Barbados, it is a key milestone in the general election process. We explain what it is, what happens and why it matters.

What it is:

Nomination Day is the day prospective candidates officially submit their nomination papers to the Returning Officer in their constituency. This confirms who is legally qualified to contest the election.

What happens:

• Candidates present nomination forms signed by a proposer and seconder (both registered voters in the constituency).
• A statutory deposit would have been paid.
• Papers are checked to ensure everything meets the legal requirements.

Why it matters:

• Once nominations close, the final list of candidates for each constituency is confirmed.
• If only one candidate is nominated in a constituency, that person is declared elected unopposed.
• It marks the formal start of the most intense phase of campaigning.
• See our next article where we share pictorially a few of the candidates who presented their papers today.