Election 2018
If you are interested in how the Island is run, have opinions about Jersey’s future and think that you would like to be more involved, why not consider standing as a States Member? Anyone can put themselves forward for election – you do not have to be Jersey born to represent your Island home.
The next scheduled General Election for Senators, Deputies and Connétables will be on 16 May 2018.
Standing for Election
If you want to stand for election as a Senator or Deputy you must:
- be at least 18 years old
- be a British citizen who has been:
(a) resident in Jersey for at least 2 years up to and including the day of the election, or
(b) resident in Jersey for 6 months up to and including the day of the election, as well as a total period of 5 years previously
If you want to stand for election as a Connétable you:
- must be at least 18 years old
- must live in the parish where you want to stand as a candidate
- do not have to be a British citizen* but must have been:
(a) resident in Jersey for at least 2 years up to and including the day of the election, or
(b) resident in Jersey for 6 months up to and including the day of the election, as well as a total period of 5 years previously
*On 17 January 2018 the States Assembly agreed an amendment to the Connétables (Jersey) Law 2008 and the States of Jersey Law 2005 which changes the laws relating to the election of the Connétables to bring them in line with the existing citizenship requirements for Senators and Deputies. It is expected that the changes will come into effect before the nomination meetings in April 2018 . It means that all candidates wishing to stand for election in May 2018 as a Senator, Connétable or Deputy will have to be a British citizen.
For more information on applying to become a British citizen, please click here.
Nomination
If you decide to stand for election you need to complete a nomination form and, if you are standing for the office of Senator or Deputy, a declaration of convictions. Your proposer and seconders need to be entitled to vote if you are standing for election as a Senator and they need to be entitled to vote in the electoral district in which you are standing if you are standing for election as a Connétable or Deputy.
Your proposer and seconders will propose you as a candidate at a nomination meeting. You will need to complete a nomination form for submission at a nomination meeting, which will be held after the election has been ordered by the Royal Court.
Nomination meeting for candidates for election as Senator
Tuesday 10 April 2018, 7 pm, the Assembly Room, Town Hall
Click here for more information
Nomination meeting for candidates for election as Connétable and Deputy
Wednesday 11 April 2018
Click here for more information
Nomination document for Senator / Connétable / Deputy
Election Expenses
The Public Elections (Expenditure and Donations) (Jersey) Law 2014 sets out limits on the amount that candidates can spend when standing for election. The Law also requires candidates to declare the amount they have spent and what donations they received after the elections. Non compliance is a criminal offence.
The amount that a candidate can spend is calculated as a combination of a fixed sum plus 11p for each registered elector in the constituency concerned.
The fixed amount is set at £2,800 for candidates in the Senators election and £1,700 for candidates in the Connétables and Deputies elections.
Example For Senators:
Total number of registered electors Island-wide 59,000*
Fixed Amount £2,800 + Registered Electors Amount £6,490 (59,000 electors x 11p)
Total Election Expenses = £9,190
Example For Connétables and Deputies:
Total number of registered electors in a constituency 6,000*
Fixed Amount £1,700 + Registered Electors Amount £660 (6000 electors x 11p)
Total Election Expenses = £2,260
* The precise number of electors will not be known until the electoral registration process closes at noon on 9th May 2018. The relevant Parish Hall(s) will nevertheless be able to give candidates, on request, an informal indication of the number of registered electors in the lead up to the nomination meeting to give some idea of the amount that they will be able to spend.
Rules are also set out in the Law for third parties who campaign for or against candidates without the knowledge or agreement of those candidates.
Public Elections (Expenditure and Donations) (Jersey) Law 2014
Guidance on Standing for Election
Information on standing for election to the States of Jersey should be read in conjunction with:
- the Public Elections (Jersey) Law 2002
- the Public Elections (Jersey) Regulations 2002
- the States of Jersey Law 2005
- the Public Elections (Expenditure and Donations) (Jersey) Law 2014
These are available on this website, and from the States Assembly Information Centre, Morier House, Halkett Place, St. Helier.
If you are standing as a candidate you need to Notify the Information Commissioner, as required by the Data Protection Law, by completing an online process.
This will allow you to access the Electoral Register (Electoral Roll) during your campaign.
The Electoral Register is prepared in each Parish in accordance with the requirements of the Public Elections (Jersey) Law 2002 (‘the Public Elections Law’).
It contains personal data relating to those Parish residents who are eligible to vote. The Public Elections Law requires the Connétable of each Parish to make the Register available for public inspection at each Parish Hall. A copy of the register as at 1st September each year is also available for inspection at the Judicial Greffe and the States Library.
Copies of the Register can be provided to anyone who is standing for election once they have been nominated, but the register must only be used for election purposes.
The fee for Notifying with the Commissioner is £50.00 per year.
Visit the Office of the Information Commissioner’s website at www.dataci.je, and follow this link for guidance for candidates and States Members.
The guidance document has information about the Notification requirements of candidates/States Members, particularly regarding access to the Electoral Register.
You should Notify as soon as the nomination process is complete and you are a candidate. It is a very quick process and you can do it online by following the following link: https://www.dataci.je/online-notification
There is a template for States Members that candidates can use. Under ‘Step 2’ you should select ‘Electoral registration and canvassing’ as the main purpose of your Notification.
If you have any questions about this process, please telephone +44 (0)1534 716530 or email [email protected]
Manifesto
If you decide to stand for election, you will be asked to provide a written manifesto and a digital photograph for inclusion on this website and the Candidate Manifestos booklet that will distributed island-wide before the election. You will be able to upload your details on the Candidate Information Upload page.
Your photograph should be a head and shoulders profile shot of you facing the camera. Please ensure that your photograph is in focus and well lit. Your photograph must be supplied as either a JPEG, GIF or PNG file (minimum size 1MB, maximum size 5MB).
There is a maximum ‘500 word limit‘ for your manifesto and the text will be cut short if the word limit is exceeded. Your manifesto must be uploaded as a typed text document such as a WORD or PDF file. Please ensure that your manifesto is checked for spelling, grammar and punctuation and that the file name of your document includes your name.
Your manifesto and photograph will then be uploaded to the Candidates and Parish sections of this website.
How Vote.je Helps Candidates
- Display your picture, contact details and manifesto on Vote.je
- Publish your picture, contact details and manifesto in the candidate manifesto booklet (which will be distributed to every household on the Island week commencing 30 April 2018)
- Film and publish a 2 minute video on Vote.je
- Film and publish all hustings meetings to Vote.je
Advertising guidelines
Guidelines have been produced by the Department for Infrastructure for those candidates who wish to advertise their election candidacy using posters and banner advertising. The guidelines should be read in full, and include the following instructions:
- Posters must not be smaller than A3 size, or larger than 600mm x 450mm
- Posters must be securely attached with wires or cable ties
- Posters must be erected at a height of not less than 7ft and must be no more than 15ft at their highest point
- Posters must be mounted on heavy duty card or on a board
- Posters must be laminated or covered to prevent weathering
