The Cayman Islands consistently ranks among the world’s top performers in voter turnout, far outpacing most Caribbean nations and even global powerhouses like the United States and Canada. But, over the past decade, the rate of those showing up at the polls has been exhibiting a slow decline, reflecting a global trend of decreasing voter participation.
In both 2021 and 2025, Cayman recorded a voter turnout of 74%, down slightly from 75% in 2017, and a noticeable dip from the 80% highs of 2005, 2009 and 2013. While ranking higher than larger countries like the United States (71%) and Canada (62%), Cayman’s voter turnout is lower than that of countries like Singapore (96%) and Uruguay (90%).
Cayman’s voter turnout vs. the Caribbean
Caribbean voter turnout has been dropping over the years. Trinidad and Tobago saw a 54% turnout in April, down 4% from 2020. Curaçao’s March elections drew a 69% turnout — 5% lower than 2021.
The same trend has been experienced among other British Overseas Territories.
Bermuda recorded a 55% turnout in February, over 1,200 fewer ballots than in the 2020 COVID-era election. Turks and Caicos, which boasted an 85% turnout in 2012, dropped to 72% in 2025.
While Cayman is still outperforming much of the region, a similar downward trend began to emerge following the 2013 elections.
“The slight decline is worth watching,” advised Tammi Sulliman, chief political correspondent at Compass Media.
Sulliman highlights that while this year’s turnout rate was the same as 2021, the absolute number of registered voters and those who showed up at the polls went up quite a bit.
Prior to Cayman’s national elections, pundits were expecting a historically significant turnout. Ultimately, while the turnout rate remained static, registered voters rose by 9% over 2021, from 23,594 people to 25,643, and the actual number of ballots cast rose from 17,404 to 18,839 — an 8% increase in real votes.
Voter turnout by constituency
Turnout varied by as much as 20% between constituencies, with some carrying the numbers up and others pulling them down.
North Side led the way with an impressive 84% turnout, followed closely by East End and Cayman Brac East, each with 83%. These are among Cayman’s smaller constituencies, with 1,007, 896 and 520 registered voters, respectively.
The lowest turnout was recorded for George Town North and George Town West with 64% and 68%, respectively, despite being mid-sized and together representing over 10% of the electorate.
Bodden Town East, Cayman’s second-largest constituency, recorded a 69% turnout.
Spoiled ballots also impacted results. A total of 236 ballots were discarded due to incorrect or no markings, with Bodden Town East and George Town North each accounting for 26 spoiled votes — the highest in the country.
Notably, absentee votes played a significant positive role in the final election outcome.
“Just under 10% of the votes were cast by mobile and postal voting,” explained Wesley Howell, Cayman’s supervisor of elections. “Without those voting methods, voter turnout would have been a lower 63%.”
Research shows that voter turnout tends to be higher in countries that allow mail-in or proxy voting, or that streamline the voting process for those who cannot attend in-person.
“Our mobile voting process, which sees our elections polling staff visiting voters who would otherwise not be able to attend the polls in person, such as voters who cannot leave their homes and hospital rooms, increases voter participation,” Howell explained.
He also highlighted some of the conveniences enjoyed by Caymanian voters living abroad, such as the use of a commercial courier to dispatch postal ballots and pre-pay for the returned ballots.
Explaining Election Day voter turnout
Howell attributes Cayman’s high voter turnout in part to the size of its voting population. Smaller countries often record higher levels of voter turnout, given that community relations are usually closer and more direct.
“The Cayman Islands fosters a more intimate and direct connection between candidates and electors,” he explained.
“It’s not unusual for candidates to personally visit nearly every home within their electoral district.”
He also points to Cayman’s highly engaged electorate, stating that Cayman voters “often head to the polls well-informed”.
Cayman’s knowledgeable voting population is a function of high levels of engagement with radio broadcasts, attendance at political meetings, and participation in voter education initiatives conducted by the Elections Office, such as registration drives and campaigns.
Interestingly, research shows that making Election Day a holiday or offering extended voting hours doesn’t consistently boost turnout. This is consistent with the local experience: the busiest voting window on Election Day was between 7–8am, with a significant 75% of votes cast by 1pm. After 5pm, turnout plummeted to under 4%.
Ultimately, Howell attributes Cayman’s high level of participation at the ballots to voter confidence in the voting process.
“Voters trust their ballots will remain secret and be cast privately and counted accurately and professionally,” he said.
The global voter turnout trend
While Cayman is among world leaders in voter turnout, a steady decline experienced over the past decade mirrors a pattern of slowing participation around the world.
Sulliman attributes the gradual drop since 2013 not to voter apathy but to a lack of clear positioning on the part of the candidates.
“As new groupings emerge and alliances shift, the absence of clear ideological differences may leave voters feeling a bit disengaged or confused,” Sulliman said.
“To sustain meaningful participation, political movements should consider articulating distinct visions and values that resonate more with the electorate. This way, the vote can become less about personalities and patronage, and more about the outlined path chosen to take the country forward.”
Other Caribbean countries poised for elections this year are Jamaica, Guyana and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. All eyes will be on how their turnout compares, and whether Cayman can maintain its regional reputation for civic participation.