News Americas, KINGSTON, Jamaica, Weds. Sept. 3, 2025: Jamaicans including from the Diaspora will vote today, September 3rd, in the 2025 Jamaica election that analysts say could come down less to persuasion than participation – with the incumbent Jamaica Labour Party, (JLP) and main opposition People’s National Party, (PNP) running neck and neck in the final polls.

FLASHBACK – Voters at a polling station at the Ewarton Methodist Church, Edna Leslie memorial hall, St Catherine north west on Election day September 3, 2020. (Photo by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images)

The last Don Anderson/RJR-Gleaner survey showed the PNP with a razor-thin 0.8-point edge over the JLP, well within the margin of error. But nearly one in three voters remains undecided or disenchanted – a block large enough to tip the balance in the Caribbean island’s 63-seat parliament.

“The deciding factor may not be persuasion, but mobilization,” political analyst Helene Davis-Whyte told the Gleaner. “This election could hinge on which party gets its base to the polls.”

Competing Messages

The JLP, in power since 2016, has campaigned on stability, pointing to falling unemployment, fiscal discipline and a sharp drop in murders this year. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has promised deeper reforms, more land titles, tax relief and 50 percent renewable power by 2030.

The PNP, led by Opposition Leader Mark Golding, insists that stability has not translated into opportunity for ordinary Jamaicans. Its platform calls for low-income housing, constitutional reform, lower electricity costs and programs aimed at youth and the poor.

Anti-incumbency is a strong driver among PNP backers. The Anderson poll found that nearly three in 10 opposition supporters said their main motivation was simply to remove the JLP. For government supporters, the main driver was the belief the administration “is doing a good job.”

Disillusionment and Protest

With more than 2 million registered voters, turnout will be closely watched. In the last election in 2020, participation slumped to just 37 percent.

Adding another wrinkle, the Jamaica First Movement, a small group led by Reverend Al Miller, is urging voters who feel alienated to still show up and mark “0” on their ballots as a formal protest against all candidates. Miller said disengagement only gives “silent approval,” while a “0” vote records discontent.

Heavy Oversight

The Organization of American States and CARICOM have both deployed observer missions across Jamaica’s 14 parishes. OAS mission chief Kenny D. Anthony, the former prime minister of Saint Lucia, urged citizens to exercise their democratic right peacefully.

The CARICOM mission, led by Trinidad and Tobago elections chief Fern Narcis, will observe preparations, voting, counting and the tabulation of results. Both groups are expected to issue preliminary statements later this week.

High Stakes

Jamaica’s election comes at a sensitive moment. The island has posted steady economic growth and debt reduction but still faces stubborn inequality, crime and pressure to accelerate the shift to renewable energy.

With polls too close to call, the result may rest on whether undecided Jamaicans – especially younger voters, who are the least engaged – decide to stay home, cast a protest ballot or rally behind one of the two major parties.

Investor Outlook

Both the Jamaica Labour Party, (JLP) and the People’s National Party, (PNP) have released detailed manifestos that present starkly different roadmaps for economic growth, foreign investment, and private-sector opportunities.

The stakes are high. Jamaica has enjoyed strong tourism rebounds, an expanding IPO market, and steady GDP growth in recent years. At the same time, debt management, high energy costs, and the need for economic diversification remain top concerns. For international and local investors, the September election outcome could shape whether Jamaica doubles down on its stability-first policies or pivots toward diversification and new industries. For the investor community, Jamaica’s 2025 election represents a choice between two investment philosophies:

The JLP’s Stability Play: Doubling down on fiscal discipline, major tourism projects, and proven economic management.

The PNP’s Transformation Agenda: Betting on diversification into new industries, green growth, and SME financing as engines of long-term resilience.

With Jamaica already attracting record IPOs and steady foreign direct investment, both visions hold appeal. However, the party that wins in September will decide whether investors can expect more of the same stability or a bold pivot toward new industries.

NEWS AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Sept. 1, 2025: Voters in the oil rich CARICOM, South American nation of Guyana head to the polls today in a high-stakes general and regional election overshadowed by fresh border tensions with Venezuela – a dispute that has loomed over the country for more than a century.

This aerial view shows Georgetown, on August 26, 2025. Guyana will hold presidential elections next September 1st. (Photo by Joaquin Sarmiento / AFP) (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images)

The disdpute flared again this weekend after election officials came under fire near the frontier. Authorities said a joint patrol of soldiers and police escorting ballot boxes along the Upper Cuyuni River came under fire from across the Venezuelan shore Sunday. No one was injured and election materials were not compromised, but the incident underscored how national security and sovereignty loom large as voters decide who will govern the oil-rich South American nation for the next five years.

In March 2024, Venezuela passed a law that designates Essequibo as a new state of Venezuela, governed from the city of Tumeremo.

The Joint Declaration of Argyle for Dialogue and Peace between Guyana and Venezuela said that the two countries agreed that “any controversies” between them will be resolved in accordance with international law, including the Geneva Agreement dated February 17, 1966.

The Joint Declaration issued following talks in Kingstown, St. Vincent in December 2023 between President Irfaan Ali and President Nicolas Maduro over the disputed Essequibo region, also indicated that the two countries agreed that “any controversies” between them will be resolved in accordance with international law, including the Geneva Agreement dated February 17, 1966.

The border dispute is before the International Court of  Justice (ICJ).

Nearly 758,000 people are eligible to vote in the election for 65 seats in the National Assembly and 10 regional councils. Six presidential candidates are on the ballot, but the race is widely seen as a showdown between the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), led by President Irfaan Ali, the main opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), formerly the Peoples National Congress, (PNC), led by Aubrey Norton and the newly formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, that has gained momentum in only 3 months.

Guyana’s President and presidential candidate for re-election Mohamed Irfaan Ali delivers a speech at a rally on August 26, 2025. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images)

Ali’s party is campaigning on economic growth fueled by Guyana’s massive oil discoveries, touting investments in infrastructure, housing, and social services. “Victory must be secured at the ballot box,” Ali told supporters in his final rally.

Supporters of Guyana’s presidential candidate Aubrey Norton from the APNU party take part in a rally in Georgetown, on August 30, 2025. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images)

Norton and APNU accuse the government of mismanaging the country’s oil wealth and promise to “rescue” Guyana from corruption and poverty. “This is a movement to take back our country,” Norton declared.

Supporters of Guyana’s presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed from the WIN party take part in a campaign rally in Georgetown on August 30, 2025. Guyana will hold presidential elections on September 1, 2025. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images)

The WIN party, led by businessman Azruddin Mohamed, is also vying for seats, showing off its multi-ethnic supporters as the key to winning the election against the two main parties that have dominated politics in Guyana for over 5 decades since independence in 1966. Mohamed, despite being sanctioned by the US, has pitched himself as the key to moving Guyanese to another level and out of poverty. Guyana’s poverty level is estimated at over 40 percent despite its new found oil riches.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said late Saturday it approved last-minute accreditations for party polling agents to ensure “fairness and transparency.” The other parties in the race are attorney Nigel Hughes of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Amanza Walton-Desir of the Forward Guyana Movement and the leader of the Assembly for Liberty & Prosperity (ALP) movement, Dr. Simona Broomes.

The polls are being monitored by international observers from CARICOM, the Organization of American States, the Commonwealth, and the Carter Center.

Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken said the force has deployed nationwide to guarantee safe voting. “This is an important moment for our country,” he said. “We must show the world that Guyana is a peaceful and united nation.”