Drawing on its direct observations, stakeholder engagements, and review of the existing regulatory framework, the Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) of the Organization of American States (OAS) has made several findings and recommendations with the objective of contributing to the continued strengthening and improvement of St. Lucia’s electoral system.
Led by Dr. Riyad Insanally, former Ambassador of Guyana to the United States and the OAS, the Mission noted that the Dec. 1 election day “proceeded in a generally orderly and peaceful manner.”
The EOM said it observed the administrative challenges posed by organizing elections within the 21 days available following the issuance of the Writs of Election on Nov. 10, 2025.
“While the Electoral Department implemented various measures to maintain a state of continuous readiness, there were still numerous administrative processes that required execution in the weeks preceding election day,” the EOM said. “The Mission noted that the Electoral Department established a plan with a checklist of activities to monitor compliance with these processes; however, it observed that this operational plan lacked clearly defined deadlines for critical activities, including the delivery of electoral materials, assignment of access credentials, and scheduling of training sessions, among others.”
In order to enhance planning certainty and ensure timely execution of all pre-electoral activities, the EOM recommended that the Electoral Department establish a comprehensive electoral calendar that encompasses both legally mandated deadlines and an operational plan with specific timelines for all critical activities, including distribution of electoral materials, credential assignments, and training sessions.
In order to enhance the accuracy and timeliness of voter registry updates, the EOM recommended establishing a formal data-sharing protocol between the Electoral Department and the Civil Status Registry to enable “systematic cross-referencing of vital records, particularly death certificates to facilitate the timely removal of deceased persons from the electoral register.”
For efficient voting processes during the Advance Pol to reduce wait times, the Mission recommended increasing the number of voting booths in each polling station designated for security forces personnel to at least two.
The EOM also recommended reducing waiting times and preventing queues beyond the closing of the polls, urging a “standardized procedure that allows for the verification of credentials for the next one or two voters in line, while a voter is casting his or her ballot.”
It said that multiple voting booths at each polling station should be installed “to enable simultaneous voting by more than one voter, thereby reducing waiting times throughout the day and minimizing delays after the official closing time.”
The Mission recommended establishing a secure environment for electoral applications that allows Returning Officers, Presiding Officers, and Poll Assistant Clerks to practice using the systems prior to election day without compromising actual electoral data.
In addition, the EOM called for increasing efforts to promote the use of the Voter Record Search application, available on the Saint Lucia Electoral Department’s official website, as a primary tool for electors to verify their registration details and polling location; and establishing dedicated information kiosks at all polling places on Election Day.
“These kiosks should be staffed by trained poll workers equipped with computer devices capable of accessing the official voters list,” the EOM said. “This will allow staff to better guide electors directly to their correct voting station.”
The Mission noted that while the Elections Act and the Election Petition Rules provide the framework for filing and adjudicating election petitions, they do not prescribe strict statutory deadlines for their determination.
The Mission said it observed that the absence of clear statutory timelines could, nonetheless, give rise to uncertainty regarding the duration of electoral disputes.
It said the introduction of statutory timelines for the determination of election petitions to enhance predictability and alignment with international standards on timely and effective remedies should be considered.
The EOM recommended assessment of the potential benefits of expanding the membership of the Electoral Commission to broaden representation and strengthen institutional capacity.
Additionally, it urged the development “a clear and comprehensive legal framework for the creation, registration and deregistration of political parties, including transparent criteria and procedures that promote fairness and uphold the right of association”; and review of the current symbol-allocation process “to eliminate any unnecessary ambiguity or administrative obstacles with the aim of ensuring equitable treatment and access for all political participants, particularly new parties and independent candidates.”
On political-electoral financing, the Mission reiterated, in the same terms as the 2021 EOM, the need for “a regulatory framework for direct or indirect public financing for political parties and campaigns, including state subsidies for media access.”
The Mission recommended the strengthening of cooperation and information-sharing among the entities responsible for integrity and financial oversight until a formal political financing framework is developed.
The EOM said that even though women are “deeply embedded in the democratic process, they remain significantly underrepresented as political candidates.”
The Mission reiterated and reinforced its 2021 recommendations of, among others, encouraging political parties to adopt parity measures in the election of their executive members; implementing an effective gender quota mechanism in order to progressively adopt parity measures and level the playing field for women in elections; providing targeted financial support to promote women’s political participation; and developing and expanding training opportunities, mentorship programs, and other initiatives to promote women’s participation and leadership in politics.
The incumbent St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP) won a massive landslide in the Dec. 1 poll, beating the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) 16-1 in the 17-seat Legislature, with Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre returning to head the government for a second successive, five-year term.
