2019 Trinidadian local elections

Local elections in Trinidad and Tobago were held on 2 December 2019,[1] contesting 139 electoral districts across Trinidad's 14 municipal corporation electoral areas.[2][3][4]

2019 Trinidadian local elections
2 December 2019
All 14 Municipal Corporation Electoral Areas
Opinion polls
Turnout34.7% ( 0.2 pp)
 
Leader Keith Rowley Kamla Persad-Bissesar
Party PNM UNC
Leader since 26 May 2010 24 January 2010
Last election 83 councillors, 48.2%
8 municipal corporations		 54 councillors, 49.9%
6 municipal corporations
Popular vote 161,962
43.60%
 202,584
54.59%
Swing 4.76% 4.48%
Municipal Corporations
7 / 14
7 / 14
Municipal Corporations +/– 1 1
Councillors
72 / 139
67 / 139
Councillors +/– 11 13
Map showing the 2019 Trinidadian local election results of the 14 corporations.

With the exception of those areas that have had boundary changes, the seats up for election were last contested in the 2016 local elections.

Both parties won control of seven of the 14 corporations with the People's National Movement (PNM) losing their minority control status in the Sangre Grande regional corporation. The PNM won 72 of the 139 electoral districts, but lost the popular vote and 11 electoral districts: Sangre Grande North West in the Sangre Grande regional corporation, Lengua/Indian Walk in the Princes Town Regional Corporation, Siparia West/Fyzabad in the Siparia Regional Corporation, Cocal/Mafeking in the Mayaro–Rio Claro Regional Corporation, Enterprise South/Longdenville North in the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, Caura/Paradise/Tacarigua in the Tunapuna–Piarco Regional Corporation, Les Effort West/La Romaine, Marabella West and Marabella West/Vistabella in the San Fernando City Corporation while gaining two from the United National Congress, in the San Juan–Laventille Regional Corporation, San Juan East and Barataria. The UNC also won the newly created districts of El Socorro/Aranguez North and La Fortune/Debe North, in the San Juan–Laventille and Penal–Debe Regional Corporation.

Seats held prior to the election

The major political parties are effectively defending the following numbers of electoral districts from municipal corporations on election day:

These numbers are how many seats each party won at the previous election, in 2016, rather than which party held the seat on the eve of the election.

Eligibility to vote

All registered electors (Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Commonwealth and Non-Commonwealth citizens) who will be aged 18 or over, resided legally in Trinidad and Tobago and have resided in an electoral district/constituency for a least two months prior to the election date are entitled to vote in the local elections.[5]

Parties and standings

Political parties registered with the Elections and Boundaries Commission can contest the local elections. The following registered parties are contesting the local elections:

Party Founded Ideology Leader(s) Leader since Last election At dissolution Notes
% party vote Municipal Corporations Electoral districts Municipal Corporations Electoral districts
PNM1955Liberalism, Social liberalism, Moderate nationalismKeith RowleyMay 2010
48.24%
8 / 14 (57%)
83 / 137 (61%)
8 / 14 (57%)
84 / 137 (61%)
UNC1989Democratic socialism, Social democracy, Third WayKamla Persad-BissessarJanuary 2010
49.90%
6 / 14 (43%)
54 / 137 (39%)
6 / 14 (43%)
53 / 137 (39%)
 
COP2006ReformismCarolyn Seepersad-BachanNovember 2017
0.50%
0 / 14 (0%)
0 / 137 (0%)
0 / 14 (0%)
0 / 137 (0%)
MSJ2010Social justice, Direct democracyDavid AbdulahJanuary 2012
0.22%
0 / 14 (0%)
0 / 137 (0%)
0 / 14 (0%)
0 / 137 (0%)
PPM 2019 Localism Louis Lee Sing October 2019 – – – – –
MND 2019 (refounded) Diego Martin regionalism Garvin Nicholas September 2019 – – – – –
NTP 1995 Localism, Nationalism[6] Ursus Daniel[7] – – – – –

Campaign slogans
PartySlogan
People's National Movement “We Getting it Done”[8]
“Doing it Right”[9]
United National Congress "Worknation"[10]

Opinion polls

The North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) commissioned opinion polling for the next general election regularly sampling the electorates' opinions.

Municipal Corporation projections
Date Pollster Sample
size		 PNM UNC Other
02 December 2019 Local Election results[11] – 7 7 0
29 November 2019 NACTA – 7 (+2) 5 (+2) 0
21 November 2019 NACTA – 8 (+3) 3 (+3) 0
11 April 2019 NACTA – 7 (+3) 5 (+3) 0
16 July 2018 Barataria and Belmont East Local Government Bye-Elections
28 November 2016 2016 election – 8 6 0

Summary results

Elections were conducted under the first-past-the-post system.

Percentage of vote share

  PNM (43.5%)
  UNC (54.4%)
  Other (2.1%)
Elections And Boundaries Commission December 2, 2019 Local Election Preliminary Results
Trinidad and Tobago Express December 2, 2019 Local Election Preliminary Results Summary
↓
7 7
PNM UNC
Party Votes Corporations Seats
PNM 161,962
43.5%
 4.8%
7 / 14 (50%)
 1
72 / 139 (52%)
 9
UNC 202,584
54.4%
 4.5%
7 / 14 (50%)
 1
67 / 139 (48%)
 9

Results by municipal corporation electoral area
Municipal Corporation Seats Turnout Largest party prior to election Largest party post election
Arima 7 PNM (7) PNM (7)
Chaguanas 8 UNC (5) UNC (7)
Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo 14 UNC (14) UNC (14)
Diego Martin 10 PNM (10) PNM (10)
Mayaro–Rio Claro 6 UNC (4) UNC (5)
Penal–Debe 10 UNC (9) UNC (10)
Point Fortin 6 PNM (6) PNM (6)
Port of Spain 12 PNM (12) PNM (12)
Princes Town 10 UNC (9) UNC (10)
San Fernando 9 PNM (9) PNM (6)
Sangre Grande 8 PNM (4) UNC (5)
San Juan–Laventille 14 PNM (11) PNM (13)
Siparia 9 UNC (5) UNC (6)
Tunapuna–Piarco 16 PNM (12) PNM (11)
All fourteen municipal corporations 139 34.71% PNM (83) PNM (72)
Source: Report of the Elections and Boundaries Commission on the Local Government Elections held on Monday, December 2, 2019
Municipal Corporation PNM UNC Total
Arima 7 0 7
Chaguanas 1 7 8
Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo 0 14 14
Diego Martin 10 0 10
Mayaro–Rio Claro 1 5 6
Penal–Debe 0 10 10
Point Fortin 6 0 6
Port of Spain 12 0 12
Princes Town 0 10 10
San Fernando 6 3 9
Sangre Grande 3 5 8
San Juan–Laventille 12 2 14
Siparia 3 6 9
Tunapuna–Piarco 11 5 16
Totals 72 67 139

Allocation of Aldermen
Municipal Corporation PNM UNC Total
Arima 3 1 4
Chaguanas 1 3 4
Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo 1 3 4
Diego Martin 3 1 4
Mayaro–Rio Claro 1 3 4
Penal–Debe 0 4 4
Point Fortin 4 0 4
Port of Spain 4 0 4
Princes Town 1 3 4
San Fernando 6 3 4
Sangre Grande 2 2 4
San Juan–Laventille 3 1 4
Siparia 2 2 4
Tunapuna–Piarco 2 2 4
Totals 29 27 56

Results by party
Party Party leader Candidates Councillors % of councillors Votes % of Votes
2016 2019 +/- 2016 2019 +/- 2016 2019 +/- 2016 2019 +/-
PNM Keith Rowley 139[12] 83 72 11 60.6% 51.8% 8.8% 174,754 162,801 11,953 48.24% 43.60% 4.6%
UNC Kamla Persad-Bissessar 139[13] 54 67 13 39.4% 48.2% 8.8% 180,758 203,868 23,110 49.90% 54.59% 4.7%
MSJ David Abdulah 28[14] 0 0 0.0% 0.0% 790 2,608 1,818 0.22% 0.70% 0.5%
PPM Louis Lee Sing 12[15] n/a 0 n/a n/a 0.0% n/a n/a 1,349 n/a n/a 0.36% n/a
COP Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan 8[16] 0 0 0.0% 0.0% 1,803 899 904 0.50% 0.24% 0.3%
MND Garvin Nicholas 4[17] n/a 0 n/a n/a 0.0% n/a n/a 403 n/a n/a 0.11% n/a
NTP Ursus Daniel[18] 1[19] n/a 0 n/a n/a 0.0% n/a n/a 11 n/a n/a 0.00% n/a
Independent N/A 8[20] 0 0 0.0% 0.0% 1,071 521 550 0.30% 0.86% 0.6%
Total 339[21] 137[22] 139 2 100% 100% 362,254 373,437 11,183 100% 100%
Electorate: 1,079,976 Total votes: 373,437 Turnout: 34.71%

See also

Notes

    References
    1. http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/december-2-local-government-elections-6.2.959074.5e638c0aa6 PM reveals December 2 local gov't election date: Kamla ready to "meet and beat the PNM"
    2. "Whither local government reform?". trinidadexpress.com.
    3. "The PNM owed million$ to the bank, says Rowley". trinidadexpress.com.
    4. "'My team will lead TT into the future'". newsday.co.tt.
    5. "Who is eligible to vote?". ttconnect.gov.tt.
    6. "National Transformation party NTP". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    7. "National Transformation party NTP". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    8. "Today's PNM 'doctor' bids for blessing of yesterday's". Trinidad Express Newspapers. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    9. "Today's PNM 'doctor' bids for blessing of yesterday's". Trinidad Express Newspapers. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    10. "Political theatre reality check". www.guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    11. "PNM claims victory by virtue of winning more seats". www.guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
    12. "339 vying for 2019 Local Government Elections | Trinidad and Tobago Government News". www.news.gov.tt. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    13. "339 vying for 2019 Local Government Elections | Trinidad and Tobago Government News". www.news.gov.tt. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    14. "MSJ fields 28 candidates but Abdulah not voting". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 1 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
    15. "Lee Sing says excitement building over his new party". www.guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    16. "The Election Agents and Sub-agents for Candidates contesting the 2019 Local Government Elections | Elections And Boundaries Commission". Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    17. "The Election Agents and Sub-agents for Candidates contesting the 2019 Local Government Elections | Elections And Boundaries Commission". Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    18. "National Transformation party NTP". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    19. "339 vying for 2019 Local Government Elections | Trinidad and Tobago Government News". www.news.gov.tt. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    20. "339 vying for 2019 Local Government Elections | Trinidad and Tobago Government News". www.news.gov.tt. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
    21. "EBC: 339 candidates contesting Local Government Elections". www.looptt.com. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
    22. "BATTLE FOR 139 SEATS". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 2 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
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