Ralph Gonsalves Seeks Historic Sixth Term as St. Vincent & the Grenadines Goes to the Polls

St. Vincent & the Grenadines heads to the polls Thursday in a tightly contested general election that could end – or extend – Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves’s 24-year tenure. More than 103,500 eligible voters will decide the outcome across 250 polling stations in the 15-seat House of Assembly.

At 79, Gonsalves – the Caribbean Community’s longest-serving leader – is seeking an unprecedented sixth consecutive term at the helm of the Unity Labour Party (ULP). His main challenger, opposition leader Godwin Friday of the New Democratic Party (NDP), is campaigning on governance, cost-of-living concerns, and the need for generational change.

Recent polls paint a volatile picture. A DP Dunn Pierre Barnett & Company (DPBA) survey gives the ULP a narrow edge, projecting an 8–7 seat split and a 64 percent probability of retaining power. But a WIC News poll shows the NDP leading nationally, 49 percent to 44 percent, and ahead in most constituencies.

Voter turnout – especially among newly registered and younger citizens – could prove decisive in marginal districts, where both parties have intensified ground operations. The ULP currently holds nine seats; all 15 are up for grabs, with two minor candidates also in the race.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. local time. Proxy voting is not allowed, though assistance is available for voters with disabilities.

The election is being monitored by a CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission and the National Monitoring and Consultative Mechanism.

With St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ future direction hanging in the balance, this election marks one of the Caribbean’s most consequential political tests in years.