The Electoral &
Boundaries Commission
In 1985, the Electoral and Boundaries Commission was established under Section 41A of the Constitution of Barbados. It comprises of a Chairman, a Deputy Chariman and three (3) other members. The Chairman and two (2) other members are appointed by the Governor-General, acting on the recommendation of the Prime Minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition while the Deputy Chairman and one (1) other member are appointed by the Governor-General, acting on the recommendation of the Opposition after consultation with the Prime Minister.
The St. Thomas By-Election of May 23, 1985 was the first election under the management and supervision of the Commission.
The table below highlights the persons who have served in the capacity of Chairman from 1985 to this present day.
| Name | Years of service |
| Mr. Kenrick Jordan | 1985 – 1990 |
| Mr. Asquith Phillips | 1990 – 1995 |
| Mr. Milton Pierce | 1995 – 2000 |
| Mr. Philip Serrao | 2000 – 2010 |
| Mr. Owen L. Estwick | 2010 – 2015 |
| Mr. John Haynes | 2015 – 2020 |
| Mr. Leslie Haynes QC | 2020 – Present |
Responsibilities of the Commission – The Commission is responsible for, among others:
1. The registration of voters and the conduct of elections in every constituency or any matter that is incidental to or consequential upon either.
2. Reviewing the number and boundaries of the constituencies into which Barbados is divided and making recommendations to the Prime Minister.
Staff of the Commission – Under Section 41B of the Constitution of Barbados, the Commission is allowed to employ a staff, adequate for the efficient discharge of its functions; whose salaries and allowances are charged on and paid out of the Consolidated Fund.
In April 1987, thirteen (13) Registering Officerss were recruited by the Electoral and Boundaries Commission and another fourteen in 1988 to manage twenty-seven (27) constituencies. The constituency of Christ Church South was created as a result of the enactment of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission Order, 1990, and this required the recruitment of another Registering OFficer, bringing the total to twenty-eight (28). In 2002, the constituencies of St. James Central and St. Philip West were created thereby increasing the number of constituencies to thirty (30). As a result, two (2) additional officers were appointed, bringing the number of Registering Officers, employed by the Commission to thirty (30).
The Electoral Department is the administrative arm of the EBC, which comprises of thirty-five (35) officers employed by the Public Service Commission.