The Cayman Islands will be heading to the polls on Wednesday 30th April 2025 with voters being asked to select an MP to represent their district in the Parliament.
On the very same day, voters will be asked to cast their votes in three separate referendum questions relating to the introduction of a national lottery, the construction of cruise berthing facilities and decriminalisation of the possession and consumption of small amounts of cannabis.
The election is being held on Wednesday 30th April 2025 with polling stations opening in the 19 electoral districts at 7am and closing at 6pm. Election day is a public holiday to give voters the greatest opportunity to cast their vote.
The final date to register to vote has now passed so if you are not already registered you will not be able to vote on election day. The List of Electors is a public document and you can view it online at the Elections Office website.
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Current Parliamentary Term, 2021-2025
There has been much change since Cayman last voted. At the last election held in 2021, no single
party secured a majority. The Progressives obtained the most seats (seven),
while independent candidates secured 12 seats. Subsequent negotiations
resulted in the formation of a coalition of 11 independent MPs who formed the 'PACT' (People-driven, Accountable, Competent and Transparent) government led by Wayne Panton.
A government formed almost entirely of independent candidates (with the exception of Juliana O'Connor-Connelly who ran with the Progressives but switched sides to join the coalition) was a new concept for Cayman and marked a departure from the previous Progressive government led by
Alden McLaughlin.
However, by late 2023 it was clear that there was
dissent among the ranks of the PACT government. A slew of high profile resignations began to eat into the PACT governments' parliamentary majority, making it increasingly difficult for them to pursue their programme for government.
The Progressives tabled a vote of no confidence in the Panton government, and despite the winning the vote 8-7 in Parliament the opposition-led motion fell short of the two thirds required for the Premier and his government to be ousted from office. Nonetheless the PACT government was left paralysed and amidst widespread criticism from his own side, Wayne Panton was forced to step aside.
Following a day of negotiations, an agreement was reached to form a new 'United People's Movement' (UPM) government from the remnants of the PACT coalition and Juliana O'Connor-Connolly was sworn in as Premier at the Governor's office,
There was further turmoil in November 2024 when a number of UPM
members resigned from the government. Since then, the UPM has governed
under Premier Juliana O'Connor-Connelly as a minority government.
2025 - A New Direction?
As 2025 got going, we saw the formation of two new political parties bringing the total number of parties registered with the Elections Office to three. With the political landscape changing it looks likely that we will move away from the model of governing that we have seen since 2021 whereby a group of largely independent MPs have come together to form a government, and an occasionally unstable one at that.
The newly minted Caymanian Community Party and the Cayman Islands National Party will join The Progressives in seeking to reach the magic number of ten MPs needed to form a majority government following the vote on 30th April 2025. This is will require a herculean effort. More likely we will see the largest party form a government with the support of independents or a junior party, depending on the maths.
Whichever way it goes, there is a lot at stake. The cost of living crisis is being felt across the community and the threat of climate change looms large over island nations like our own. Over the next few months, candidates will be on the radio, knocking on doors and across social media asking us for our vote and we must rise to the challenge: ask questions, think deeply and make an informed decision about how we want to be governed for the next four years.
Political Parties of the Cayman Islandskeyboard_arrow_right
Find out more about the three political parties of the Cayman Islands, what they stand for, and Cayman's history of independent candidates.
Read MoreHow Elections Work
Election Law
The process of holding an election is set out in law in the Elections Act (2022 Revision). The legislation stipulates in detail the manner in which an election can take place to ensure that it is free and fair.
Elections Office
The Supervisor of Elections – a role presently held by Wesley Howell – along with his colleagues at the Elections Office (an independent agency of the Cayman Islands Government) oversee the election and ensure that it is held in accordance with the law. It is the Elections Office which compiles the official list of electors which can be inspected here and it is to them that applicants wishing to stand for office must apply. The polling stations are manned by Returning Officers who are appointed by the Supervisor of Elections and it is the Returning Officers who count the votes following the closure of the polls.
Campaigning
According to law, the election period begins following the dissolution of Parliament. This is the point at which campaigning rules must be observed. For example, by law candidates can spend a maximum of CI$40,000 during their campaign. All campaign materials must be free of defamatory and abusive language. Election signs can be erected without planning permission so long as they are setback a minimum 12 feet from road edge and do not exceed 32 square feet wide and 12 feet in height.
Election Day - How to Votekeyboard_arrow_right
The rules on how to vote are strict and for good reason - the integrity of the political process is of utmost importance. It is important to familiarise yourself with how to vote to ensure that your voice is heard.
How can I follow the election coverage?
Radio Cayman has good coverage of election results, but you can also follow events on Cayman Compass, Cayman News Service and Cayman Marl Road.