The political scene in Bermuda reached a turning point on May 16 1963, with the first ever General Election fought under a party banner. The Bermuda Progressive Labour Party was founded February 1963 and, led by lawyers Mr. Arnold Francis and Mr. Walter Robinson, published an election platform, ran nine candidates in the General Election and succeeded in winning an impressive six seats.
The Parliamentary Election Act was passed, giving every adult twenty-five years and over the right to vote. The Watlington Amendment was also passed, giving landowners who possessed rateable property anywhere in Bermuda a second or “plus” vote in the constituencies in which they lived. Parishes were retained as electoral districts, but were now each divided into two constituencies – i.e. 18 in total, each of which returned two Members to the House of Assembly.
The actual results and number of votes polled are shown below. “P” indicates a member of the PLP, and “X” a member of the previous house.
St. Georges East | Pembroke North | |||
Registered voters single | 371 | Registered voters | 2037 | |
Registered Property voters | 217 | Registered Property voters | 999 | |
Voted single | 289 | Voted single | 1420 | |
Voted property | 200 | Voted property | 872 | |
Turn-Out- or(%) | 83% | Turn-Out- or(%) | 75% | |
S.S. Toddings | 400 | A.A. Francis (PLP) | 2244 | |
Col. J.B. Tucker | 399 | Dorothy Thompson (PLP) | 1240 | |
Ernest Robinson (PLP) | 307 | R.L. Pearman | 1111 | |
Warren Eve | 741 | |||
J. Adderley | 354 | |||
W.E.R. Joell | 131 | |||
St. Georges West | Paget East | |||
Registered voters | 339 | Registered voters | 331 | |
Registered Property voters | 296 | Registered Property voters | 414 | |
Voted single | 266 | Voted single | 301 | |
Voted property | 277 | Voted property | 385 | |
Turn-Out- or(%) | 86% | Turn-Out- or(%) | 92% | |
C.V. Burch | 488 | Sir. Henry Tucker | 367 | |
A.D. Spurling | 424 | Deforest Trimmingham | 750 | |
P.R. Tucker | 306 | John Plowman | 362 | |
A.S. Outerbridge | 70 | |||
Paget West | ||||
Hamilton East | Registered voters | 317 | ||
Registered voters | 149 | Registered Property voters | 358 | |
Registered Property voters | 105 | Voted single | 276 | |
Voted single | 126 | Voted property | 331 | |
Voted property | 99 | Turn-Out- or(%) | 90% | |
Turn-Out- or(%) | 89% | |||
W.H.C. Masters | 593 | |||
E.W.P.Vesey | 186 | L.M.Barnes | 441 | |
Russell Dismont (PLP) | 142 | Peter Smith | 345 | |
M.A.Gibbons | 138 | Edna Watson | 330 | |
Hamilton West | Warwick East | |||
Registered voters | 287 | Registered voters | 508 | |
Registered Property voters | 274 | Registered Property voters | 564 | |
Voted single | 242 | Voted single | 395 | |
Voted property | 248 | Voted property | 511 | |
Turn-Out- or(%) | 87% | Turn-Out- or(%) | 85% | |
Walter Robinson (PLP) | 432 | E.T. Richards | 857 | |
O.R. Arton | 321 | John Patton | 790 | |
Hartwell Hollis | 254 | Leon Eve | 587 | |
Smiths East | Warwick West | |||
Registered voters | 220 | Registered voters | 186 | |
Registered Property voters | 325 | Registered Property voters | 264 | |
Voted single | 191 | Voted single | 153 | |
Voted property | 308 | Voted property | 246 | |
Turn-Out- or(%) | 92% | Turn-Out- or(%) | 89% | |
L.P. Gutteridge | 325 | Jack Sharpe | 532 | |
Gilbert Darrell | 319 | E.H. Barnes | 329 | |
Robert Outerbridge | 250 | W.R. Kempe | 257 | |
Warren Brown | 236 | Charles Post | 46 | |
Earle Outerbridge | 147 | |||
Smiths West | Southampton East | |||
Registered voters | 174 | Registered voters | 312 | |
Registered Property voters | 249 | Registered Property voters | 309 | |
Voted single | 137 | Voted single | 256 | |
Voted property | 233 | Voted property | 288 | |
Turn-Out- or(%) | 87% | Turn-Out- or(%) | 88% | |
Vail Zuill | 475 | C.E. Powell | 401 | |
N.H.P. Vesey | 436 | C.V. Clarke (PLP) | 346 | |
Arthur Smith | 187 | E.L.McD Benjamin | 291 | |
H.L. Williams | 288 | |||
Devonshire South | ||||
Registered voters | 340 | Southampton West | ||
Registered Property voters | 358 | Registered voters | 140 | |
Voted single | 265 | Registered Property voters | 171 | |
Voted property | 307 | Voted single | 125 | |
Turn-Out- or(%) | 82% | Voted property | 163 | |
Turn-Out- or(%) | 93% | |||
Sir John Cox | 736 | |||
Hereward Watlington | 642 | Ernest Vesey | 175 | |
Read Basnett | 254 | Ralph Marshall | 169 | |
Dr. C.R. Terceira | 133 | |||
Devonshire North | Harry Viera | 120 | ||
Registered voters | 582 | Eldridge Simmons (PLP) | 115 | |
Registered Property voters | 284 | |||
Voted single | 446 | Registered Property voters | ||
Voted property | 259 | Voted single | ||
Turn-Out- or(%) | 81% | Voted property | ||
Turn-Out- or(%) | ||||
Lois Browne-Evans (PLP) | 649 | |||
W.L.Tucker | 451 | |||
Sir Bayard Dill | 271 | |||
Pembroke South | ||||
Registered voters | 1024 | Sandys South | ||
Registered Property voters | 785 | Registered voters | 534 | |
Voted single | 809 | Registered Property voters | 433 | |
Voted property | 682 | Voted single | 435 | |
Turn-Out- or(%) | 82% | Voted property | 400 | |
Turn-Out- or(%) | 86% | |||
Hon. James Pearman | 1762 | |||
G.A.Cooper | 1770 | Walter Roberts | 759 | |
Ray Williams (PLP) | 352 | George Ratteray | 490 | |
A.E.Nicholl | 445 | |||
Francis Galloway | 412 | |||
Sandys North | ||||
Registered voters | 356 | |||
Registered Property voters | 284 | |||
Voted single | 282 | |||
Voted property | 260 | |||
Turn-Out- or(%) | 85% | |||
Col. J. C. Astwood | 633 | |||
Neville Burnett-Herkes | 490 | |||
Fred Kessell | 295 |