1963 Bermudian general election
General elections were held in Bermuda on 16 May 1963.[1] They were the first elections to be held under the new Parliamentary Election Act and included political parties. Independents won 30 of the 36 seats in the House of Assembly, with the Progressive Labour Party, which had been established three months before the elections, winning six of the nine seats it contested.[1]
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36 seats in the House of Assembly 19 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||
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Electoral system
Before the passing of the Parliamentary Election Act the franchise was restricted to property owners. The Act introduced universal suffrage, but increasing the voting age from 21 to 25.
However, powerful white businessmen, who were the dominant force in Parliament at the time, also passed the Watlington Amendment, which gave landowners with rateable property in the territory a second vote in their home constituency.[2] Of the 14,896 registered voters, 8,207 could cast only a single vote and 6,689 were eligible to cast a second vote. Each of the nine parish was divided into two constituencies, each of which returned two members to the House of Assembly, making a total of 36 seats.[1]
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Labour Party | 5,827 | 18.62 | 6 | |
| Independents | 25,471 | 81.38 | 30 | |
| Total | 31,298 | 100.00 | 36 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | 14,896 | – | ||
| Source: Parliamentary Registry | ||||
References
- May 1963 Parliamentary Registry
- Bermuda Sun, 14 December 2012, To vote or not to vote: it was not always an option
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