Nearly half of the approximately 40,000 Antiguans and Barbudans expected to replace their voter identification cards have still not done so, and with completion rates alarmingly low in some of the island’s most populated constituencies, the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission faces a significant task in getting those numbers up.

The Commission’s own figures indicate that roughly 40,000 people who need to replace their cards, just 19,567 applications have been recorded to date, meaning approximately 20,000 people have yet to come forward. That is nearly one in every two people who should have already begun the process.

The replacement drive was launched in August 2024, when the Electoral Commission opened the process to all individuals with expired voter ID cards, inviting them to visit registration units in their respective constituencies. Residents were asked to bring their expired card, a valid government issued ID, proof of address and any documents reflecting changes to their marital status. More than a year and a half later, tens of thousands have still not responded to that call.

Of the 19,567 applications recorded so far, 18,320 were carried over from 2025. A further 1,247 have been added in the early months of 2026, with March contributing 384 applications to date, though the weekly figures suggest momentum is fading rather than growing, with 212 applications in the first week of the month dropping to 129 in the second and just 43 in the third.

The Electoral Commission is therefor encouraging residents who have not yet replaced their cards to visit their constituency registration unit as soon as possible with the required documents.