1971 Barbadian general election

{{Infobox election

| country = Barbados

| type = parliamentary

| previous_election = 1966 Barbadian general election

| previous_year = 1966

| next_election = 1976 Barbadian general election

| next_year = 1976

| turnout = 81.62% ({{increase}}1.92pp)

| seats_for_election = 24 seats in the House of Assembly

| majority_seats = 13

| election_date = 9 September 1971

| image1 = Errol Barrow 1968 - 2.png

| leader1 = Errol Barrow

| party1 = Democratic Labour Party (Barbados)

| leaders_seat1 = St. John

| last_election1 = 14 seats

| seats1 = 18

| seat_change1 = {{increase}}4

| popular_vote1 = 53,295

| percentage1 = 57.40%

| swing1 = {{increase}}7.84pp

| image2 = Harold_St._John.png

| leader2 = {{nowrap|Bernard St. John}}

| party2 = Barbados Labour Party

| leaders_seat2 = Christ Church South Central
(Defeated)

| last_election2 = 8 seats

| seats2 = 6

| seat_change2 = {{decrease}}2

| popular_vote2 = 39,376

| percentage2 = 42.41%

| swing2 = {{increase}}9.81pp

| title = Prime Minister

| before_election = Errol Barrow

| before_party = Democratic Labour Party (Barbados)

| after_election = Errol Barrow

| after_party = Democratic Labour Party (Barbados)

| map_image = 1971 Barbadian general election.svg

| map_caption = Results by constituency

}}{{Politics of Barbados}}

General elections were held in Barbados on 9 September 1971.Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p90 {{ISBN|978-0-19-928357-6}} Amendments to the electoral system saw the two-member constituencies previously used replaced by single-member first-past-the-post constituencies.Nohlen, p92 This was also the first election in modern Barbadian history to be contested by only two political parties, not including two independent candidates.{{cite web |title=Barbados General Election Results - 9 September 1971 |url=http://www.caribbeanelections.com/bb/elections/bb_results_1971.asp |website=Caribbean Elections |accessdate=27 October 2020 |archive-date=5 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105204639/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/bb/elections/bb_results_1971.asp |url-status=dead }}

The result was a victory for the Democratic Labour Party, which won 18 of the 24 seats. Despite achieving a larger increase in vote share than its opponent, the Barbados Labour Party lost two seats and its leader, Harold Bernard St. John, was defeated in his constituency of Christ Church South Central.Caribbean Elections Voter turnout was 81.6%, the highest in the country's history.