The Carenage, the inner harbour of St. George's, at dusk. Photo: Ramakrishna Reddy Yekulla/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Leaders Face Off in a Televised Debate

Grenada’s election campaign reaches its biggest stage tonight, when the three main party leaders share a platform for the first time. The debate starts at 7:00 p.m. Grenada time (7:00 p.m. ET) before a live audience at the Grenada Trade Centre, eight days before voters go to the polls.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell leads the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which won power in 2022 and is seeking a second term. Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre, who heads the New National Party (NNP), and Peter David, who launched the Democratic People’s Movement (DPM) in November 2025, will face him.

The two-hour programme is organised by the Media Workers Association of Grenada, the Grenada Broadcasting Network, The Bubb Report, a local news outlet, and the Grenada Conference of Churches. Organisers say 90 minutes will be given to structured debate under the theme of the issues that matter to voters, with cost of living among them.

Grand Anse and St. George’s from the air, with homes spread across the hills of southwest Grenada. (Photo: madmack66, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

How Grenada Votes

Grenada is a three-island Eastern Caribbean nation and a Commonwealth realm, with King Charles III as head of state represented by a governor-general. Voters elect 15 members of the House of Representatives, one for each constituency, and the party that wins at least eight forms the government.

Election day is Thursday, November 5, 2026. Parliament was dissolved on Friday, October 2, and nomination day was Thursday, October 15, with 46 candidates entering the 15 constituencies.

The NDC and NNP are each contesting all 15 constituencies, while the DPM is reported to be contesting nine. This is the NNP’s first general election without Keith Mitchell, its longtime leader and a former prime minister, who stepped down in 2024.

In the last election, in June 2022, the NDC won nine seats and the NNP six, ending the NNP’s run in government. Mitchell has governed since then, and the NNP now campaigns under new leadership.

What One Online Survey Shows

The only published voting-intention figure we found is an online survey run by Only Polls, an online voting platform, between October 5 and 14. Of 904 responses, 570 backed the NDC (63.1%) and 334 the NNP (36.9%).

Anyone could take part, so this is a self-selected sample, not a representative poll, and no margin of error is published. It also leaves out the DPM, so it is a mood indicator rather than a forecast of seats.

What It Means for You

For readers in the United States, Grenada is best known as a Caribbean holiday and medical-school destination. This vote decides who runs the island’s government for the next term, so it matters to anyone with travel plans, property or family ties there.

A close result in a 15-seat chamber can swing on a handful of constituencies. Tonight’s debate gives undecided voters their first side-by-side comparison of the three leaders.

What Is Not Known

We could not confirm the moderators or whether every major broadcaster will carry the debate. No constituency-by-constituency forecast exists, and we found no prediction market on the Grenada vote.

We also could not confirm turnout expectations or voting-hour details from the Electoral Office, the body that runs the vote, in the material we reviewed.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Grenada’s general election?

Grenadians vote on Thursday, November 5, 2026. Police and other special voters cast ballots earlier, on Monday, November 2.

Who takes part in tonight’s debate?

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell (NDC), Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre (NNP) and Peter David (DPM) meet at 7:00 p.m. local time. It runs for two hours at the Grenada Trade Centre.

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