Vote.je is inviting voters to ask questions of their 2022 candidates by joining a brand-new series of online events to help Islanders decide who to vote for ahead of the election on 22 June 2022. The ‘Question Time’ events are in addition to the traditional in-person hustings being organised by the candidates.
The online events begin on Tuesday 24 May, and the focus is on giving voters the opportunity to ask quick fire questions of candidates on the issues that matter to them. Voters are encouraged to join in, ask questions via the meeting chat, and make the most of this opportunity to learn which Deputy and Connétable candidates their views on Island issues are most closely aligned with.
All Deputy and Connétable candidates – including those who may be competing against the ‘None of the Candidates’ option – are invited to join the meeting for their constituency, which will be streamed live online for Islanders to watch. Gwyn Garfield-Bennett is chairing all 21 events and will be asking candidates the questions submitted by Islanders. Each event will be recorded for voters to watch back via the Vote.je YouTube channel in the lead up to the election.
Dates and times are set out below:
| Date | Event(s) |
| Tuesday 24 May
7.00-9.00pm |
Deputies – St Clement (7 candidates for 4 seats)
|
| Wednesday 25 May
7.00-9.00pm |
Deputies – Grouville and St Martin (6 candidates for 3 seats)
|
| Thursday 26 May
7.00-9.00pm |
Deputies – St Brelade (9 candidates for 4 seats) |
| Tuesday 31 May
7.00-9.00pm |
Deputies – St Helier Central (9 candidates for 5 seats) |
| Wednesday 1 June
7.00-9.00pm |
Deputies – St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter (7 candidates for 4 seats) |
| Monday 6 June
7.00-9.00pm |
Deputies – St Helier North (7 candidates for 4 seats) |
| Tuesday 7 June
7.00-9.00pm |
Deputies – St Helier South (11 candidates for 4 seats) |
| Wednesday 8 June
7.00-9.00pm |
Deputies – St John, St Lawrence and Trinity (8 candidates for 4 seats) |
| Thursday 9 June
7.00-9.00pm |
Deputies – St Saviour (12 candidates for 5 seats) |
| Monday 13 June
7.00-8.00pm 8.15-9.15pm |
2x Connétable hustings
Grouville (2 candidates for 1 seat) St Lawrence (2 candidates for 1 seat) |
| Tuesday 14 June
7.00-8.30pm 8.30-9.00pm |
2x Connétable events:
St Mary (3 candidates for 1 seat) St John (1 candidate for 1 seat) |
| Wednesday 15 June
7.00-8.00pm 8.15-8.45pm |
2x Connétable events: St Helier, St Martin
St Helier (2 candidates for 1 seat) St Martin (1 candidate for 1 seat) |
| Thursday 16 June
7.00-7.30pm 7.45-8.15pm 8.30-9.00pm |
3x Connétable events:
St Ouen (1 candidate for 1 seat) St Brelade (1 candidate for 1 seat) St Saviour (1 candidate for 1 seat) |
| Monday 20 June
7.00-7.30pm 7.45-8.15pm 8.30-9.00pm |
3x Connétable events:
St Clement: (1 candidate for 1 seat) St Peter: (1 candidate for 1 seat) Trinity: (1 candidate for 1 seat) |
Jenny O’Brien, Head of Digital and Public Engagement, explained “The new online Question Time events are all about providing voters with the opportunity to understand the views of the candidates they will be choosing between on 22 June. The events are designed to address one of the top reasons Islanders reported not voting in 2022 – not understanding enough about the candidates.
“In-person hustings, organised by the candidates, will continue to be a popular format for many voters and we hope that this new alternative event format will be equally popular for people who may not have voted before or who perhaps don’t feel confident asking questions in a busy room full of people.”