Finding out about candidates
Ahead of an election there can be lots of news coverage, social media, and events held for the election campaign. Deciding who wins your votes isn’t always easy. As Jersey’s official guide to elections, Vote.je is your one-stop shop for information about candidates and voting. You’ll find written manifestos and video content to learn more about who your candidates are and what they stand for.
The Vote.je resources aren’t just online. You will also find dates of events where you can meet and question the candidates in person, as well as their contact details if you wish to make direct contact with them. During the election campaign, Vote.je sends a printed booklet to all residential addresses that explains where, when and how to vote, as well as candidate manifestos. Information is provided in additional languages such as Portuguese, Polish and Romanian.
Independent and party candidates
Election candidates either stand for election as a member of a political party or as an independent candidate. Party candidates need to ensure their election advertising clearly states their party name. On election day, the ballot papers will say which political party a candidate is in so you know exactly what you are voting for.
In 2026, Vote.je will provide details of the political parties that have candidates standing for election.
Manifestos
Election candidates create a ‘manifesto’, which is a way for candidates to explain what they intend to do as a States Member if they are successfully elected. Manifestos are typically a short piece of writing, but some candidates like to create video or visual content to help communicate their manifesto to as many voters as possible.
The manifestos of all official election candidates are made available online on Vote.je. A printed version is distributed to Islanders during the campaign period. Candidates are also invited to record a short video version of their manifesto for publication on the Vote.je website and the Vote.je YouTube channel. Candidates and their supporters are welcome to post these on their own website or social media channels.
As a voter, you can use the manifesto as a way to decide which candidate is the best option for your constituency or Parish. Voters often refer back to candidates’ manifestos as a way to measure how well they are performing against what they said they would do once they have been elected.
Hustings
Hustings are public meetings where election candidates can be asked questions by voters. Hustings are usually organised by the candidates in a specific constituency or Parish and held at venues like Parish Halls and community centres. Sometimes groups or organisations who are keen to encourage political engagement and voter turnout in the community invite candidates to their own hustings events.
The traditional format for hustings is that each candidate makes a speech which is no longer than a pre-agreed amount of time – often just a few minutes. Candidates draw lots to decide who goes first. Following the speeches, a host or moderator will invite questions from the audience in the room. Candidates take it in turn to be the first to answer each question and have a pre-agreed time limit to give their answer.
Ahead of elections, Vote.je advertises the dates, times and locations of hustings. Candidate-organised hustings are usually filmed and made available on the Vote.je YouTube channel for playback.
Campaign advertising – posters, leaflets and more
During the election campaign, Islanders can expect to see candidates’ posters and banners appearing in public locations. Candidate and political parties also tend to post leaflets or flyers through letterboxes to ask for support and votes on election day. You may also be ‘doorstepped’ by candidates at your home address. This is a traditional pre-election activity where candidates knock on doors around their constituency or Parish in order to speak with voters to find out about the issues and concerns in the local area and to see if you are interested in voting for them on election day.