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Elections in Jersey
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Elections in Jersey gives information on elections and election results in Jersey.
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Jersey elects a legislature. The States of Jersey have 53 elected members, 41 elected for a three year term (29 Deputies elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies and 12 Constables, head of the parishes) and 12 Senators elected by Islandwide vote for a six year term, 6 of them renewed every three years. Jersey is a state in which political parties do not play an important role, although two newly-formed parties have put forward candidates in the 2005 general election.
The Senators were last elected 19 October 2005, the Deputies 27 November 2002.
The States of Jersey also includes a small number of unelected ex officio members: the Bailiff; the Dean (head of the established Church of England in Jersey; the Attorney-General.
To be nominated for Senator, a candidate must secure a nomination paper signed by 10 validly-registered voters, including a proposer and seconder. The proposer and seconder must attend in person the Electoral Assembly ("nomination meeting") held at the Parish Hall of St. Helier, presided over by the Comité des Connétables, and the proposer must read out publicly the nomination form, including the candidate's declaration of criminal convictions (or of no criminal convictions).
If more candidates are nominated than there are seats available, a poll is declared, to be taken on the date set by the Royal Court. If there are no more candidates nominated after 20 minutes than available seats, then the candidates are declared elected unopposed and no poll is taken.
The Royal Court appoints an autorisé for each constituency to oversee the poll (usually, but not exclusively, a Jurat or Crown Officer).
With 6 seats at each Senatorial general election, each voter has a maximum of 6 unranked votes in a first past the post bloc voting system (multi-member plurality system). Results for each parish on polling day are declared by the autorisé. In the early years of Senatorial elections since 1948, parish loyalties meant that votes would swing around the candidates, with Saint Helier - the largest and last parish to declare - often deciding the election. Since the 1980s, parish loyalties to local candidates have faded in favour of Islandwide issues and it is usual for the pattern of winning candidates to be clear from the first declarations, with Town voters only likely to decide the sixth-placed candidate.
Defeated Senatorial candidates are able to stand in the following Deputorial elections. It is not uncommon for an incumbent Senator denied re-election by the Island electorate to seek a refreshed mandate in their own parish. A number of prospective candidates for Deputy use the preceding Senatorials as a dry-run to either raise their public profile or, in the absence of a strong tie to one particular parish, to see which Deputorial constituency gave them the highest Senatorial vote.
The procedure for nomination for Deputy follows the same pattern as for the Senatorials, except that the nomination paper must be signed by 10 voters, including proposer and seconder, validly registered in the constituency in which they intend standing (for a Senatorial election, the constituency is one all-Island constituency). The proposer and seconder must attend in person the Electoral Assembly ("nomination meeting") presided by the Constable (or Chef de Police or Procureur du Bien Public) of the respective parish held at the respective parish's parish hall (Public Hall in the case of St. Martin) or other place as may be specified.
In the case of parishes divided into more than one electoral district, nominations are accepted at the Electoral Assembly by district, nominations for each district having to last at least 20 minutes. (see articles on individual parishes for electoral districts)
In single-member districts, a simple first past the post election is held. In multi-member districts, the system is that of a first past the post bloc election analogous to the Senatorials.
The election for Senators was held on 19 October 2005. 6 seats were available. Though two declared parties put forward candidates: the Jersey Democratic Alliance and the Centre Party, only non-partisans were elected.
| Members | Seats |
|---|---|
| Elected Senators 16 October 2002 / non-partisans | 6 |
| Elected Senators 19 October 2005 / non-partisans | 6 |
| Elected Deputies 23 November 2005/ non-partisans | 29 |
| Ex officio members with voting rights (Connétables) | 12 |
| Ex officio members without voting rights (Bailiff, Attorney General, Solicitor General and Dean) | 4 |
| Total (turnout %) | 57 |
- More info: Jersey elections, 2005
The elected constable heads the administration of each of the twelve parishes. A number of municipal officials are also elected, usually for three year terms.
Members of the Honorary Police are also elected.
The constable, Procureurs du Bien Public and centeniers are (in the case of a contested election) elected at a public election. Other municipal officials are elected by an Assembly of Electors.
Since the 1948 constitutional reforms, Jurats are elected by electoral college rather than by Islandwide vote.