Voting in Trinidad and Tobago 1925-2025

Dr Rita Pemberton

Although it is not registered on the national calendar and, as a result, has escaped the attention of the population, February 7, 1925, is a very significant date in the history of Trinidad and Tobago.

This was the day when the first steps to political representation in the Legislative Council and to the right to vote were made. By a 1924 Order in Council, members of the population who possessed the required property and/or income qualifications were permitted to vote for their representatives.

The colony was divided into seven constituencies: the city of Port of Spain, the counties of Caroni, St George, Victoria and St Patrick, the eastern counties (St Andrew, St David, Nariva and Mayaro) and the ward of Tobago.

Membership of the Legislative Council of TT was increased with the addition of seven elected members. This was a significant departure from the practice of the past, when the governing bodies were totally nominated, and members used their position to protect their own interests, usually at the expense of the majority of the population, who had no representation.

The first elections to the Legislative Council were held on February 7, 1925, and the first representatives of their districts were James Alphaeus Alexander Biggart (Tobago), ER Clarke (St Patrick), Captain Arthur Cipriani (Port of Spain), TM Kelshall (Victoria), CH Pierre (Eastern Counties), AV Stollmeyer (St George) and Sarran Teelucksingh (Caroni).

This was a significant change for Trinidad, which, under British rule, was always administered as a crown colony, with the crown, through its representatives on the island, making all decisions. Tobago, on the other hand, had an elected assembly from 1769-1877, when crown colony government was introduced as a part of the imperial government’s strategy to assert control over its Caribbean possessions. This effort was a move to get rid of the old colonial assemblies, including that of Tobago, which had been obstructionist, openly hostile and embarrassing to the British administration.

In addition, it was part of a desire to maintain white rule in the colonies and restrict the feared black takeover of the reins of government of the colonies, which appeared possible with the growth of a black landowning class in several colonies.

The decision to include a representative element in the colony’s administration was prompted by several factors.

During the closing years of the 19th century, there were increased expressions of opposition to the partisan policies of the administration in Trinidad and the exclusion of most of the population from any contributions to administrative decision-making. Dissatisfaction with the failure of the current administration to give attention to the challenges faced by the working class, who laboured for very low wages under poor working conditions, and faced rising prices, led to protests, from which a movement for constitutional change developed in Trinidad under the aegis of the Trinidad Reform Movement.

This organisation sought to obtain elected members in the legislature to represent the interests of the wider population not addressed by the present members, mainly planters and merchants. Although the movement faded after two failed attempts in 1885-86 and 1892-95, the demand for constitutional change increased into the 20th century, when other organisations such as the Rate Payers Association, the Pan African Association and the Trinidad Workingmen’s Association (TWA) continued to lead the charge for change.

The post-World War I era, characterised by escalating prices for essential items, continued low wages and high unemployment, brought increasing hardship to the poorer class.

In addition, there was strong anti-white sentiment in reaction to the racist experiences of black soldiers from the colonies who were discriminated against by white captains on the fighting front. They found it unacceptable to be subjected to white rule in their own country. Led by Cipriani, the TWA demanded constitutional change and spearheaded strikes on sugar and cocoa estates.

Cipriani, the leading figure in Trinidad, forged relationships with similar leaders in the rest of the Caribbean. Then the Legislative Reform Committee, formed in Trinidad in 1921, campaigned for reforms, with similar bodies making the same demands throughout the British Caribbean. Cross-Caribbean agitation forced the British Government to send out Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Colonies Major E Wood to investigate and make recommendations.

Wood recommended a limited franchise, with high voter and candidate property and income qualifications, for TT. The Legislative Council was composed of 26 members, 12 official and 13 unofficial, seven to be elected and six nominated by the governor, who possessed both an original and a casting vote, an arrangement which ensured the interests and desires of the imperial government remained paramount. A local franchise committee was established in 1922 to implement the Wood recommendations.

While the first election permitted only six per cent of the colony’s total population of 365, 913 to vote, it was a very important first step towards democracy in the colony.

Elections give people the opportunity to freely express their views and exercise their right to participate in public affairs. The enthusiasm demonstrated by the disenfranchised at the first political rallies reflected their strong interest and desire to participate in decision-making. Once the practice of voting was established, pressure was maintained on the authorities to make the process truly democratic.

The next step occurred during the 25 years after the first election. In 1946, the right to vote was extended to adults 21 and over. The adult franchise was granted for the 1946 general election, when there continued to be strong expressions of interest in public affairs by the working class and an increase in the number of political parties which courted the population for their vote.

The third step occurred in 1976, when the voting age was further reduced to 18 by the republican Constitution.

These changes were supported by international human rights laws: Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protect the right to vote as a human right.

One hundred years later the country has progressed through several political stages through which the right to vote is based on age, regardless of race, colour, social standing, property ownership or financial means. As a result, the size of the electorate has increased, the facility for increased participation has also been provided and a political culture has been shaped.

Given the importance of this process to national development, February 7, 1925, is meritorious of national awareness and should be allocated a more prominent position on the national calendar.