Legal spending limits can obscure an accurate picture of the real financial cost of political campaigning in Barbados, political scientist Peter Wickham said on Thursday as a just-released report on the 2022 general election reveals declared expenses ranging from nil to nearly $90 000.
“Candidates will normally declare an allowable amount because if they declare more, it’s an election offence,” Wickham told Barbados TODAY, noting that “off-budget” expenses often go unreported despite playing a critical role in candidate outreach.
According to the Elections and Boundaries Commission’s official report, Christ Church West Central MP Adrian Forde was the biggest spender, with receipts coming in at $89 120. MP for St Peter Colin Jordan had the second-highest bill, $82 867.62. Prime Minister Mia Mottley reportedly spent $71 836.40 in her St Michael North East campaign.
Wickham said the spending, which is capped at approximately $10 per constituent, means reported expenses may not fully reflect actual campaign costs, especially in highly competitive areas.
“One can argue that there are several offbudget expenses that candidates would have to engage in that wouldn’t appear in those reports,” he said, suggesting that official figures may be only part of the story.
Wickham further pointed out that independent candidates are often the exception, likely reporting their actual spending.
“Independent candidates, who usually operate with smaller budgets, tend to report their true expenses,” he said, explaining that they are less likely to reach the spending cap.
By contrast, major party candidates face greater pressure to maximise their outreach and may incur hidden expenses to stay within legal limits.
The 2022 election report notes some candidates declared no spending at all, such as independent candidate Brian Talma in Christ Church East.
There were significant expenses in the St George South and Christ Church East ridings, where Dwight Sutherland MP and Wilfred Abrahams MP reported $66 354.77 and $62 078.50, respectively.
“That’s often the trend,” Wickham noted. “The incumbent will normally spend the most since they have an amount of money that is provided for them by Parliament, some of which will make its way into an election expense, though it’s not supposed to.
“But ultimately, some of those monies will make their way into election spending. So candidates have that available to them. Someone like Brian Talma, for example, who, as a firsttime candidate, wouldn’t spend a lot of money….
If people don’t believe you will win, they’re not going to invest in your campaign.”
The noted pollster further underscored that population size rather than geography drives campaign costs. Urban areas like St Michael see higher costs due to denser populations, meaning expenses are naturally higher there.
Wickham noted that COVID-19 shifted much of the 2022 campaign online, which should have theoretically lowered costs.
“This should have been one of the cheapest elections we’ve ever had,” he said, admitting that though he does not have the figures of previous elections to compare, digital canvassing can cut expenses.
“This might not be reflected in the spend though because of inflation and other factors.”
But other issues emerged from the electionsreport, as Wickham pointed to record low voter turnout as a key issue in the 2022 election, which peaked at 41 per cent.
“The most significant thing about this report is the fact that the voter turnout is so low,” he said, attributing it partly to COVID-19 restrictions.
Many eligible voters were in quarantine during the election, making participation impossible.
The political expert also highlighted outdated voter lists as an ongoing issue, noting: “The turnout figures that you see are invariably overstated because many on the list have either migrated or are deceased.”
Outdated registries, he shared, are a common issue across the Caribbean, making turnout figures look lower than actual engagement.
Before the 2022 polls, the average voter turnout since the introduction of full adult suffrage in 1951 was approximately 65.26 per cent with a historic peak of 82 per cent in 1971.
shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb
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