1956 Trinidad and Tobago general election

1956 Trinidad and Tobago general election

24 September 1956 (1956-09-24)
All 24 seats in the Legislative Council
Turnout	80.09% (9.96pp)
First party Second party   Leader Eric Williams Bhadase Sagan Maraj Party PNM PDP Leader since 1955 1953 Seats won 13 5 Percentage 39.75% 20.85%   Third party Fourth party   Leader Tubal Uriah Butler A. P. T. James Party Butler Party TLP–NDP Leader since 1936 Last election 6 2 Seats won 2 2 Percentage 11.75% 5.18%
Chief Minister before election Albert Gomes (Party of Political Progress Groups) Subsequent Chief Minister Eric Williams (People's National Movement)

General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 24 September 1956.^[1] 129 candidates from nine political parties contested for 24 seats in the legislative council.^[2] The result was a victory for the People's National Movement, which won 13 of the 24 seats. Voter turnout was 80.1%.^[3]

In one of the biggest races in the 1956 general election, West Indies cricketer Learie Constantine of the PNM defeated Radio Trinidad announcer Surujpat Mathura of the PDP in Tunapuna.^[4]

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	People's National Movement	105,153	39.75	13	New
	People's Democratic Party	55,148	20.85	5	New
	Butler Party	31,071	11.75	2	–4
	Party of Political Progress Groups	14,019	5.30	0	–2
	Trinidad Labour Party–National Development Party	13,692	5.18	2	0
	Caribbean National Labour Party	3,864	1.46	0	New
	Caribbean People's Democratic Party	627	0.24	0	New
	West Indian Independence Party	446	0.17	0	New
	Independents	40,523	15.32	2	–4
Total		264,543	100.00	24	+6
Valid votes		264,543	97.43
Invalid/blank votes		6,991	2.57
Total votes		271,534	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		339,028	80.09
Source: Elections and Boundaries Commission

References

1. Dieter Nohlen (2005). Elections in the Americas: A Data Handbook, Vol. I. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 635. ISBN 0-19-928357-5.
2. "Trinidad and Tobago General Election Results 1956". Caribbean Elections. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
3. Nohlen, p639
4. "Constantine, Learie". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 15 May 2021.