Elections in the British Virgin Islands are conducted to elect members to the House of Assembly (formerly named the Legislative Council). In the British Virgin Islands elections are not conducted in relation to appointments to either the Executive or Judicial branches of Government, and there are no other publicly elected posts in the British Virgin Islands. Most elections are conducted as general elections, which under the Constitution are required to be held every four years, or as by-elections when a member of the House of Assembly dies or steps down. Since the re-introduction of democracy into the British Virgin Islands in 1950 there have been fifteen general elections, and three recorded by-elections. The last election was held on 25 February 2019.
The British Virgin Islands elects on territorial level to a unicameral legislature. The House of Assembly has a total of 15 members, 13 of whom are members elected by the public to serve a four-year term, plus two ex-officio non-voting members: the Attorney General and the Speaker of the House. Of the 13 elected members, nine are elected to represent Territorial district seats, and four are elected on a Territory-wide "at-large" basis.
Since 1999 the British Virgin Islands effectively has had a two-party system, which means that there are two dominant political parties. Prior to 1999 the political arena has been much more varied, with sometimes three or even four political parties seriously contesting elections. In the period 1990 to 1995 there was really no other serious political parties providing an alternative to the Virgin Islands Party in the Territory. Historically independent candidates have fared well in British Virgin Islands; in the 1979 general election independent candidates won a greater share of the vote (38.0%) than any political party, and won 4 out of the 9 available seats. However, 1999 general election marked the first time that no independent candidate was elected, and since that date only one person standing as an independent candidate has been elected (Alvin Christopher in 2003 general election).
Elections are held at least every four years. The system of elections is Westminster-style. The parties nominate candidates on a nomination day, then the election is held several weeks later. Government is formed by the leader best able to command a majority in the House.
Qualifications
Qualifications for standing for election
Qualifications to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly are now regulated by article 65 of the Constitution. Broadly speaking this requires that the candidate must be a second generation Belonger, and must either be domiciled in the British Virgin Islands or have completed a period of residence.
In order to be elected as a member of the House, a person must either be a Virgin Islander (as defined) over the age of 21, and otherwise qualified to vote in the Territory. For these purposes a "Virgin Islander" means a Belonger who is either: a person who was born in the British Virgin Islands to a mother or father who was a British Overseas Territories Citizen (by birth or descent); a person who was born in the British Virgin Islands to a mother or father who was also a Belonger (by birth or descent); or a person who was born outside of the British Virgin Islands to a mother or father who was also a Belonger (by birth or descent) provided that one of his or grandparents also belonged to the British Virgin Islands by birth.
A person may also be qualified to stand for election if they were qualified to stand in the 2007 general election under the previous Constitution, regardless of whether or not they have previously stood for election.
However, a person is disqualified from being elected (regardless of where they are born) if they are not domiciled in the British Virgin Islands unless: in the case of a person who has never been domiciled in the British Virgin Islands, they have resided in the Territory for at least 5 years immediately before the date of their nomination for election; or in the case of a person who was formerly domiciled in the British Virgin Islands, but have lived outside of the Territory for at least 10 years, they have resided in the Territory for at least 3 years immediately before the date of their nomination for election.