General elections were held in the Bahamas on 10 June 1982 for all 43 seats in the House of Assembly. The number of seats was raised from 38 prior to the 1982 elections.

Electoral System

Members of the House of Assembly are elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. The majority party then selects the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the Governor-General.

Political Parties

In the 1982 elections, the parties in contention for the 43 seats of the newly-enlarged House of Assembly were the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), led by Prime Minister Lynden Pindling; the right-wing Free National Movement (FNM), led by Kendal Isaacs; and the smaller Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party, Workers Party and the Commonwealth Democratic Party.

Background & Campaign

Principal campaign issues included the country's high unemployment level (20-25%), a rising crime rate and allegations of corruption in public life.

Results

PLP obtained 32 seats, FNM capturing the 11 others. PLP thus gained its fifth successive general election victory and Prime Minister Pindling continued in office.

Voter Turnout

Voter turnout was 89.76%.