List of National Assembly constituencies of the Bahamas
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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name = House of Assembly of the Bahamas
| legislature = 14th Bahamian Parliament
| coa_pic = Coat of arms of the Bahamas.svg
| coa_res = 120px
| coa_alt = Coat of arms of the Bahamas which includes a conch shell, a marlin and a flamingo along with the motto: "Forward, Upward, Onward Together"
| foundation = {{start date and age|df=y|1729|3|4}}
| members = 39
| voting_system2 = First-past-the-post
| last_election1 =
| last_election2 = 16 September 2021
| previous_election1 =
| previous_election2 =
| session_room = BahamianParliamentPanorama.jpg
| session_res = 300px
| session_alt = Panorama of three buildings positioned in a U-shape
| meeting_place = Bahamian Parliament, Nassau, The Bahamas
| website =
| footnotes =
| motto =
| next_election2 =
}}
File:The Bahamas on the globe (Americas centered).svg
The Bahamas House of Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral legislature of The Bahamas, an island country in the Caribbean. It is housed at the Bahamian Parliament Building in Nassau, the national capital. The current Assembly was elected by the general election held on 16 September 2021. The Assembly has 39 single-member constituencies and it uses the first-past-the-post system for elections. The Members of Parliament (MPs) serve five-year terms.{{Cite web |url=http://www.caribbeanelections.com/elections/bs_elections.asp|title=The Bahamas Election Centre |website=Caribbean Elections |accessdate=4 September 2021|archive-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724161948/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/elections/bs_elections.asp |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas |url=http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/0e8ecb04-ec4f-4aa7-afaf-f330efef994b/Chap+5+Parliament.pdf?MOD=AJPERES |access-date=4 August 2020 |website=www.bahamas.gov.bs|archive-date=2 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202092910/https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/0e8ecb04-ec4f-4aa7-afaf-f330efef994b/Chap+5+Parliament.pdf?MOD=AJPERES |url-status=live }}
The National Assembly's origins can be traced back to 1729 when a Representative Assembly was set up for what was then a British colony. It was formed with 24 members (16 for New Providence, and four each for Harbour Island and Eleuthera).{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=udnCHbSIvC8C |title=Bahamian Culture and Factors which Impact Upon it: A Compilation of Two Essays |author= Donald M. McCartney |year=2004 |publisher=Dorrance Publishing Company |quote=The first Representative Assembly in the Bahamas was established in 1729 and consisted of twenty-four members... |page=42 |isbn=0805963251 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125153841/https://books.google.co.in/books?id=udnCHbSIvC8C&redir_esc=y |archive-date=25 January 2025}} The first election after the country got independence from the United Kingdom was in 1977, when it had 38 constituencies.{{Cite web |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/BAHAMAS_1977_E.PDF |title=Bahamas Parliamentary Chamber: House of Assembly - Elections held in 1977 |publisher=Inter-Parliamentary Union |access-date=1 January 2025 |archive-date=16 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116152627/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/BAHAMAS_1977_E.PDF |url-status=live}} Since then, it has had a varying number of constituencies in the assembly. For the 1987 and the 1992 elections, it had 49 constituencies.{{Cite web |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/BAHAMAS_1987_E.PDF |title=Bahamas Parliamentary Chamber: House of Assembly - Elections held in 1987 |publisher=Inter-Parliamentary Union |access-date=1 January 2025 |archive-date=16 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116152632/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/BAHAMAS_1987_E.PDF |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2021_92.htm |title=Bahamas Parliamentary Chamber: House of Assembly - Elections held in 1992 |publisher=Inter-Parliamentary Union |access-date=1 January 2025 |archive-date=13 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113044710/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2021_92.htm |url-status=live}} The current constituencies are based on the recommendations of the Constituency Commission in 2021.{{cite web | last=Thompson | first=Taneka | title=Constituencies Commission to begin work next month | newspaper=The Nassau Guardian | date=28 November 2024 | url=https://www.thenassauguardian.com/news/constituencies-commission-to-begin-work-next-month/article_a5c524ea-ad05-11ef-a363-6f7588886e94.html | access-date=7 January 2025 |quote=A boundaries report prepared by the previous commission in 2021 recommended to the governor general that no new constituencies be added, maintaining the status quo of 39 seats in the House of Assembly |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125153838/https://www.thenassauguardian.com/news/constituencies-commission-to-begin-work-next-month/article_a5c524ea-ad05-11ef-a363-6f7588886e94.html |archive-date=25 January 2025}} The commission conducts a review of the electoral boundaries every five years and makes recommendations to ensure that there is parity of numbers in each constituency.{{Cite journal |url=http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/apr/06/davis-backs-boundary-change/ |title=Davis Backs Boundary Change |first=Rashad |last=Rolle |journal=The Tribune |date=6 April 2021 |access-date=5 September 2021 |archive-date=5 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905052859/http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/apr/06/davis-backs-boundary-change/ |url-status=live}} It suggests that each constituency have around {{formatnum:5000}} voters with a margin of 500.{{Cite journal|url=https://ewnews.com/final-hurdle-constituencies-commission-to-complete-report-on-monday|title=Final Hurdle: Constituencies commission to complete report on Monday|journal=Eyewitness News|first=Royston|last=Jones Jr.|date=7 June 2021|accessdate=5 September 2021|archive-date=5 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905052908/https://ewnews.com/final-hurdle-constituencies-commission-to-complete-report-on-monday|url-status=live}} During boundary review, the commission tries to keep constituencies roughly the same size while considering other factors like "the needs of sparsely populated areas as well as geographic conditions". The constituency of MICAL is the smallest considering the number of voters ({{formatnum:1392}}), while Golden Isles is the largest with {{formatnum:7391}} voters.{{cite web | last=Dames | first=Candia | title=The business of boundaries | website=The Nassau Guardian | date=14 April 2021 | url=https://www.thenassauguardian.com/news/national_review/the-business-of-boundaries/article_c26d2bfc-d504-58fb-b637-81824b2af3fd.html | access-date=13 January 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250113111209/https://www.thenassauguardian.com/news/national_review/the-business-of-boundaries/article_c26d2bfc-d504-58fb-b637-81824b2af3fd.html |archive-date=13 January 2025 |quote=Golden Isles in New Providence, the largest constituency as it relates to population, had 7,068 registered voters as of 10:44 a.m. on Monday ... Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay (MICAL) remains the constituency with the smallest population.}}
Constituencies
File:Bahamas general election map blank.svg
class="wikitable sortable"
|+Constituencies of the Bahamian National Assembly ! scope=col | Constituency ! scope=col | Island/ ! scope=col | Electorate |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Bain Town and Grants Town
| rowspan=24|New Providence | style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:4830}} |
---|
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Bamboo Town
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5860}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Carmichael
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:6041}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Centreville
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5218}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Elizabeth
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5709}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Englerston
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:4923}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Fort Charlotte
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:4978}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Fox Hill
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:6041}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Freetown
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:4869}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Garden Hills
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5321}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Golden Gates
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5490}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Golden Isles
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:7391}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Killarney
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:7112}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Marathon
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5368}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Mount Moriah
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5345}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Nassau Village
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5701}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Pinewood
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5373}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Saint Anne's
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5475}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Saint Barnabas
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:4601}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Sea Breeze
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5704}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | South Beach
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5625}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Southern Shores
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5617}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Tall Pines
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:6243}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Yamacraw
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5268}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Central Grand Bahama
| rowspan=5| Grand Bahama | style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:6809}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | East Grand Bahama
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:6561}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Marco City
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:6287}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Pineridge
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5668}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | West Grand Bahama & Bimini
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5700}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Central and South Abaco
| rowspan=2| Abaco | style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:3294}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | North Abaco
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:5108}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Mangrove Cay and South Andros
| rowspan=2 | Andros | style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:2338}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | North Andros and Berry Islands
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:2727}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Cat Island, Rum Cay & San Salvador
| Multiple | style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:1679}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Central and South Eleuthera
| rowspan=2 | Eleuthera | style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:3908}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | North Eleuthera
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:3515}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | The Exumas and Ragged Island
| Multiple | style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:3601}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | Long Island
| style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:1835}} |
style="text-align:left" scope=row | MICAL{{efn|Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, and Long Cay}}
| Multiple | style="text-align:right" | {{formatnum:1392}} |
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See also
References
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{{The Bahamas topics}}
Bahamas, constituencies of the