General elections are scheduled to be held in Antigua and Barbuda on or before 19 June 2026 to elect members of the House of Representatives. The Labour Party (ABLP) has held a slim majority of seats since the 2023 election, making further gains in Parliament following the election of Rawdon Turner and the unofficial floor walk of Anthony Smith. However, the Labour Party also experienced resounding losses in the 2025 Barbuda Council election and the 2023 St. Mary's South by-election. Besides the ABLP, the United Progressive Party (UPP) and the Barbuda People's Movement (BPM), as well as various other independents and minor parties are expected to contest.
On 21 March 2026, Browne announced general elections would be held within the next ninety days, likely earlier. Parliament was dissolved on 1 April 2026. The date of the election is expected to be released at the ABLP's platform launch on 7 April.
Following the 2023 election, the Labour Party experienced a near loss, with the People's Parliament alliance composed of the UPP, BPM, and independent Asot Michael winning the popular vote. The Labour Party only carried one parish, Saint John, where the vast majority of the population resides. Party leader Harold Lovell lost his contest by only a few votes, resulting in his resignation from the party leadership and the eventual rise of deputy leader Jamale Pringle.
For most of 2023, the Labour Party suffered significant losses, losing both the 2023 Barbuda Council election and St. MaryâÂÂs South by-elections in landslides. The discontent with the Labour government lasted until July 2024, when UPP MP Anthony Smith left the party and was appointed to the Labour Party government the following day. This sparked a credibility crisis for the UPP, with internal dysfunction being revealed to the public and many calls for the party leadership to resign. Following the assassination of independent St. Peter MP Asot Michael in November 2024, the Labour Party was able to emerge victorious with about three-fourths of the vote. The Labour Party faced a major blow in the controversial 2025 Barbuda Council election, with resulted in the BPM winning all seats up for election. The Prime Minister stated that the country was ready for a general election in a rally on 23 March 2025, and in the council election's aftermath, informal campaigning commenced.
Due to repeated delays of the 2021 census until June 2025, the Constituency Boundaries Commission had originally proposed updating constituency boundaries based on voter registration counts. The constituency boundaries have not been changed since 1984 and constituency populations vary in the thousands. Review commenced in November 2025. In February 2026, long-time representative Robin Yearwood resigned from parliament, triggering a by-election in a seat that had been solidly safe for the ABLP for nearly fifty years until a slim majority in the 2023 election. The ABLP candidate Randy Baltimore ended up winning in a landslide on 16 March 2026, although his swearing in was delayed due to eligibility concerns. This victory caused various political scientists to recommend that Pringle resign from party leadership and Browne call for a general election, which he did on 21 March.
As of March 2026, there are seventeen single-member constituencies in Antigua and Barbuda, with members of the House of Representatives being elected by first-past-the-post voting. There are sixteen constituencies on Antigua and one on Barbuda. In order to vote in Antigua and Barbuda, one must be an Antiguan and Barbudan citizen or the citizen of a Commonwealth country who is permanent resident in the country. One must also be aged eighteen or older and registered to vote with the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission.
Antigua and Barbuda has a three-party system, with the Labour Party active throughout the country, the UPP being active in Antigua, and the BPM being active in Barbuda. The UPP and BPM are allied, with alignment on most political issues and previously having a coalition government from 2004 to 2014. While formerly social democratic, since independence the ABLP has been a mostly conservative party.
Informal campaigning began on 28 March 2025, about a year before the election. The Browne began criticising the UPP due to its credibility crisis, while maintaining a more cooperative tone with the BPM due to its recent council election victory. The UPP promised to revamp the health, tourism, and education sectors. The opposition also criticised an increase in vehicle licensing fees and low quality public utilities.
On 27 March 2026, the Democratic National Alliance announced they would not be contesting in the election.