Key Facts
- What. A High Court judge refused to stop Grenada's general election, so all 15 seats in the House of Representatives are decided today.
- When. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Grenada time on Thursday, 5 November 2026 (5 a.m. to 4 p.m. US Eastern Time).
- Why it matters. The ruling removes the last legal obstacle, though a challenge by election petition after the vote is still possible.
- Stakes. The governing National Democratic Congress won 9 of 15 seats in 2022; eight seats make a majority.
A Grenada High Court judge on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, rejected a lawsuit that sought to halt the island's general election. Voting goes ahead today, and the Grenada election updates hub follows the count.
Justice Agnes Actie dismissed the claim brought by Cajeton Hood, an attorney who represented himself. He had sued Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, the Supervisor of Elections (the official who runs the vote) and the Attorney-General (the government's chief legal officer).
High Court Rejects Bid to Halt the Vote
Hood asked the court to stop the election and to declare unlawful the dissolution of Parliament on 2 October 2026. Dame Cécile La Grenade, the Governor-General who represents the head of state, dissolved it on that date.
The court held that objections to the election, including whether the Supervisor of Elections followed Section 37 of the Representation of the People Act, can only be pursued by election petition after the vote. The judge said the court "cannot use the Civil Procedure Rules to circumvent" the Constitution's requirements, and the claim was removed from the cause list.
Voting Day Details
Polls are open on Thursday, 5 November 2026, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Grenada time, which is 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. US Eastern Time. The Parliamentary Elections Office, the body that runs the vote, is the official source for the process.
Police officers voted in a special early poll on Monday, 2 November, three days before election day. No turnout figure has been published, and those ballots are counted on general polling day.
Nomination Day was 15 October 2026, with about 46 candidates standing across the 15 constituencies. After the official declaration of results, the Governor-General appoints the prime minister.
What Is at Stake
All 15 seats in the House of Representatives are contested in single-member constituencies decided by first-past-the-post, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins. Eight seats make a majority.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), the governing party led by Mitchell, won 9 seats with 51.84% of the vote in 2022. The New National Party (NNP), the main opposition, won 6 seats with 47.76%.
Mitchell, an attorney, is seeking a second consecutive term almost a year ahead of the October 2027 constitutional deadline. The NNP is led by Emmalin Pierre, who is expected to be the first woman to lead the party into a general election, and the Democratic People's Movement (DPM), a new party launched in November 2025, is led by Peter David.
Polling, Debate and Observers
No scientific poll by a named institute has been identified. The only published figure is an online survey by Only Polls, run 5 to 14 October with 904 respondents, which showed the NDC at 63.1% and the NNP at 36.9%, but it was self-selected and not representative.
The three party leaders debated on Wednesday, 28 October, at the Grenada Trade Centre in St George's, with cost of living a highlighted issue. Election observers from the Organization of American States (OAS), led by Sherry Tross, and from the Commonwealth, led by Ian Michael Anthony, are in Grenada.
What It Means for US Readers
Polls close at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, so first results could emerge in the late afternoon or evening. No time for first results has been confirmed.
For Americans with ties to the island, or investors in Caribbean tourism and the citizenship-by-investment programme, a smooth vote and a clear result mean policy continuity or a defined change of course. A petition after the vote would prolong uncertainty.
What Is Not Known
No turnout figures or results had been found at the time of writing, and the date of the official declaration is unconfirmed. It is not known whether Hood or anyone else will file an election petition or appeal, and no party reaction to the ruling was found.
No scientific poll was found, and no prediction market with verified trading volume exists for this vote.
Sources
Grenada High Court ruling of 4 November 2026; Parliamentary Elections Office; Governor-General's dissolution of 2 October 2026; 2022 official results; OAS and Commonwealth observer announcements. Published Thursday, 5 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Grenada election still going ahead?
Yes, the High Court rejected the claim to halt it on 4 November 2026. Parliament stays dissolved and voting takes place on 5 November.
When do polls open and close in US time?
Polls open at 5 a.m. ET and close at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, 5 November 2026. That is 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Grenada time.
Can the election still be challenged in court?
The court held that objections can only be pursued by election petition after the election. It is not known whether anyone plans to file one.