1961 British Honduras general election

1961 British Honduras general election
	26 March 1961
All 18 seats in the Legislative Assembly
Turnout	79.50%
	Popular vote by constituency. As Belize uses the FPTP electoral system, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each constituency
First Minister before election; George Cadle Price; PUP	Elected First Minister ; George Cadle Price; PUP

General elections were held in British Honduras on 26 March 1961. They were the first following a constitutional review, which had increased the number of elected seats from 9 to 18, whilst a further five members would be appointed by the Governor and two would be officials.^[1] The result was a victory for the ruling People's United Party, which won all 18 seats.^[2]

The National Independence Party, founded in 1958 by a merger of the two previous major opposition parties, the Honduran Independence Party and the National Party, contested general elections for the first time in 1961. A third party formed by former PUP and NP members, the Christian Democratic Party, also fielded candidates. Both parties failed to win seats.

Results


Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	People's United Party	13,975	64.67	18	+9
	National Independence Party	5,107	23.63	0	0
	Christian Democratic Party	2,514	11.63	0	New
	Independents	15	0.07	0	0
Total		21,611	100.00	18	+9

Valid votes		21,611	98.08
Invalid/blank votes		422	1.92
Total votes		22,033	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		27,714	79.50
Source: Elections and Boundaries Department

By division

Division	Electorate	Turnout	%		Candidate	%
Albert	2,424	2,058	84.9	People's United Party	Frederick Westby	42.8
				Christian Democratic Party	Nicholas Pollard	37.9
				National Independence Party	Floss Casasola	18.7
Belize Rural North	1,406	1,041	74.0	People's United Party	Fred Hunter	62.2
				Christian Democratic Party	Arthur Wade	25.4
				National Independence Party	Marcelo Casasola	10.3
Belize Rural South	1,052	781	74.2	People's United Party	Louis Sylvestre	81.3
Belize Rural South	1,052	781	74.2	National Independence Party	Todd Brown	15.6
Cayo North	1,292	1,042	80.7	People's United Party	Hector Silva	70.5
Cayo North	1,292	1,042	80.7	National Independence Party	Manuel Figueroa	27.0
Cayo South	1,174	962	81.9	People's United Party	Santiago Perdomo	61.3
				Christian Democratic Party	Eduardo Espat	30.0
				National Independence Party	Pedro Mena	5.8
Collet	2,706	2,168	80.1	People's United Party	Albert Cattouse	44.6
				National Independence Party	Edward Flowers	43.9
				Christian Democratic Party	Mervin Hulse	9.3
Corozal North	1,473	1,141	77.5	People's United Party	Santiago Ricalde	79.9
Corozal North	1,473	1,141	77.5	National Independence Party	Gualberto Martinez	18.1
Corozal South	1,480	956	64.6	People's United Party	Jesus Ken	85.7
Corozal South	1,480	956	64.6	National Independence Party	Victor Greenwood	10.5
Fort George	1,422	1,225	86.1	People's United Party	Alexander Hunter	60.2
				National Independence Party	Herbert Fuller	28.5
				Christian Democratic Party	Denbigh Jeffery	10.8
Freetown	1,850	1,625	87.8	People's United Party	George Cadle Price	67.1
				National Independence Party	Sabino Savery	24.8
				Christian Democratic Party	Erenst Cain	7.6
Mesopotamia	2,501	1,993	79.7	People's United Party	C. L. B. Rogers	62.4
				National Independence Party	Erlean Casasola	28.4
				Christian Democratic Party	Edward Usher	8.6
Orange Walk North	1,377	1,089	79.1	People's United Party	Victor Orellana	57.6
Orange Walk North	1,377	1,089	79.1	National Independence Party	Eloy Escalante	40.7
Orange Walk South	926	680	73.4	People's United Party	Guadalupe Pech	81.4
Orange Walk South	926	680	73.4	National Independence Party	Ignacio Vega	14.4
Pickstock	1,680	1,418	84.4	People's United Party	Gwendolyn Lizarraga	68.6
				National Independence Party	Jaime Staines	16.3
				Christian Democratic Party	Clare Gill	13.3
				Independent	Robert Taylor	0.7
				Independent	James Ysaguirre	0.4
Stann Creek Rural	1,856	1,343	72.4	People's United Party	David McKoy	72.3
Stann Creek Rural	1,856	1,343	72.4	National Independence Party	Harry Stanley	23.7
Stann Creek Town	1,816	1,493	82.2	People's United Party	Allan Arthurs	52.3
Stann Creek Town	1,816	1,493	82.2	National Independence Party	Paul Guerrero	44.2
Toledo North	547	374	68.4	People's United Party	Faustino Zuniga	55.6
Toledo North	547	374	68.4	National Independence Party	Charles Westby	42.2
Toledo South	941	732	77.8	People's United Party	Sam Vernon	48.0
				National Independence Party	Francis Martinez	39.5
				Christian Democratic Party	Alan Woodeye	11.5

References

^ Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p100 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
^ General Elections 1961, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)

[DN-1] Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p100 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6

[nineteen61-2] General Elections 1961, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)

[1]

[2]

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