IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Belize

Belize

390,231	7
Population (as of Feb. 8, 2019)	Elections in our database
182,815	76.68%
Registered Voters (as of Dec. 23, 2020)	Average Turnout

Name	Official Name	Type
Belizean House of Representatives		Lower House
Belizean Senate		Upper House

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: King CHARLES III *
Head of Government: Prime Minister Dean BARROW **
Assembly: Belize has a bicameral National Assembly consisting of the Senate with 13 seats and the House of Representatives with 31 seats.

* The King is represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr.

** The position of the governor general is appointed by the monarch.The governor general appoints the prime minister after legislative elections, typically selecting the leader of the majority party for the position.

Description of electoral system:

The King is hereditary head of state.
Prime Minister is appointed by the governor-general.
In the Senate 13 members are appointed by the governor-general to serve 5-year terms. In the House of Representatives 31 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.

Elections

Election For	Date	Votes	Registered Voters	Turn Out
Belizean House of Representatives	1998-08-27	84,876	94,173	90.13
Belizean House of Representatives	2003-03-05	100,340	126,261	79.47
Belizean House of Representatives	2008-02-07	116,943	156,993	74.49
Belizean House of Representatives	2012-03-07	130,258	178,054	73.16
Belizean House of Representatives	2015-11-04	142,900	196,587	72.69
Referendum	2019-05-08	96,417	148,500	64.93
Belizean House of Representatives	2020-11-11	149,650	182,815	81.86

Voter Turnout

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