At stake in this election:

• 12 seats in the Legislative Council

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II *
• Head of Government: Governor Mark Andrew CAPES
• Assembly: Saint Helena has a unicameral Legislative Council with 12 seats.

* The executive authority of St Helena is invested in Her Majesty and exercised on her behalf by the Governor.

Description of electoral system:

• The Queen is hereditary head of state.
• Governor is appointed by the monarch.
• In the Legislative Council, 12 members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms and 3 members are designated ex officio to serve 4-year terms.***

*** The election law of Saint Helena was changed prior to the 2013 parliamentary election, where all candidates stood in an single constituency. Previously, members had been elected in 2 multi-member constituencies, with 6 seats each. Each voter can vote for up to 12 candidates.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Independent(s): Independents*
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: 12

* There is no party system on St. Helena, but rather a Committee system in the Legislative Council. Upon the closure of nominations on July 2, 2013, 20 candidates have been nominated to compete in the election.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 4,000 ( 2008 St. Helena Population Census)
• Registered Voters: 2,309 (July 2013 )