Essential Guide to Standing for Election

It’s time to prepare to stand for election in 2026

The next island-wide elections to the States Assembly are due to be held on Sunday 7 June 2026, when all 49 States Members will be elected.

Anyone thinking about standing for election in 2026 should make the most of the time available to start work on figuring out a campaign plan, gather support and sign up to the Vote.je newsletter for guidance and resources for prospective candidates.

What is the States Assembly?

The States Assembly is Jersey’s elected parliament. It works on behalf of the people of the Island and is made up of 49 elected States Members who are responsible for:

• Appointing Ministers to the Government of Jersey
• Making and approving new laws for Jersey
• Debating new policies and matters of public interest
• Approving the amount of tax to be raised
• Agreeing how public money should be spent by the Government of Jersey
• Holding the Government to account through Scrutiny

Every 4 years there is an election where Jersey residents can put themselves forward to become – or be re-elected – as a States Member.

Why Stand for Election in Jersey?

Are you inspired to work on behalf of your Island and all of those who live in Jersey, including future generations? Being elected as a States Member is a reward and a challenge like no other because you can create positive change, improve the lives of Islanders, and represent all sections of our society.

What you do and say, and how you vote in the States Assembly has a direct effect on the new laws and regulations that govern all of us. You can highlight issues that you and those you represent feel are not receiving the attention they deserve. You will play a part in ensuring our society and economy are fit for purpose today and into the future.

Changes due in 2026

Following a decision made by the States Assembly on 20 March 2025, the island-wide role of Senator is due to return. Changes to the law are needed for this to come into effect. If the changes are approved in time for the 2026 elections, Islanders will be able to stand for election as Constable, Deputy or Senator. Read more about this on our news page.

Elections in Jersey

Jersey has general elections to the States Assembly every 4 years. By-elections are held to fill any casual vacancies as they arise, for example, if a States Member decided to stand down part way through a political term.

Eligible individuals can stand for election as independent candidates or as a member of a registered political party. There are different types of elected States Member – you can read more about this below.

At election time, voters have as many votes as there are seats to be filled in their Parish or Constituency. Votes can be made by eligible voters by post (whether on or off-island), before election day at ‘pre-poll’, or on election day itself at a polling station. Votes are counted and announced after the polls have closed and the candidates with the highest number of votes win.

Successful election candidates are formally ‘sworn-in’ at the Royal Court and officially become States Members for the next four year political term.

How to become an election candidate

There are six key steps to becoming an official election candidate in an election to the States Assembly:

1. Decide what elected role you wish to stand for
2. Check your eligibility
3. Fill in a nomination form
4. Find 10 people who will support your candidacy
5. Submit your nomination form within the deadline
6. Your nomination is checked and – if approved – you are announced as an election candidate.

Eligibility to stand for election

An essential step to becoming an election candidate is to check your eligibility to stand for the role you’d like. Anyone who wants to stand for election to the States Assembly must:

1. Be a British citizen;
2. Be at least 18 years old; and
3. Have been resident in Jersey for either: (a) At least two years up to and including the day of the election (i.e. 7 June 2026); or (b) six months up to and including the day of the election as well as a total period of five years previously.

Additional criteria for Connétable (Constable) candidates:

Anyone intending to stand for election as Connétable in any Parish except St. Helier needs to meet the above criteria and live in the Parish they wish to represent.

Why you should stand for election in Jersey

Hear from a selection of current States Members about what motivates people to stand for election and represent Islanders in the video below.

Connétables, Deputies and Senators: an overview

The States Assembly has different types of elected Member. For first-time voters and anyone not yet familiar with Jersey’s political system, it’s worth reading on to understand what this actually means.

Currently, there are two types of States Member:

• Connétables (also known in English as ‘Constables’) and
• Deputies

It is expected that in 2026, voters will be able to elect three types of States Member – provided that law changes are made in time for the elections. The role of Senator is due to be made available in addition to Connétables and Deputies. This page will be updated following any official changes.

Connétables:

Connétables are elected to be the head of a Parish. Anyone elected as a Connétable also becomes an elected Member of the States Assembly (sometimes referred to as ‘ex-officio’). Connétables are voted for by residents of the Parish. There is one Connétable per Parish, which means there are 12 in the Assembly. There will be no change to this for 2026.

On a day-to-day basis, Connétables can expect to divide their time between Parish work and States Assembly work. Connétables’ work can include activities and responsibilities such as:

• Parish Assemblies
• working with Parish officials to run the Parish
• dealing with queries from parishioners
• meetings of the Comité des Connétables

As an elected Member of the States Assembly, a Connétable’s duties will also include:

• attendance of all States Meetings
• contributing to States Meetings as they see fit – for example, asking questions and making speeches in debates
• voting on the outcome of debates
• the ability to lodge propositions (proposals for change) for debate in a States Meeting.

If a Connétable has taken on any additional roles in the Assembly, for example, as a Minister, or on a Scrutiny Panel or Committee, their responsibilities may also include:

• a regular programme of Scrutiny Public Hearings and panel meetings
• attendance of meetings of the Council of Ministers
• legal responsibilities relating to laws within their ministerial remit
• Answering Written Questions, Oral Questions, Questions Without Notice, or in Scrutiny Public Hearings on matters within their ministerial remit.

Deputies:

Deputies are elected to represent a constituency. There are nine constituencies in Jersey. These are formed based on population numbers so that each Deputy represents approximately the same number of Islanders. Some constituencies are made up of multiple Parishes; some are a single Parish. As the most-populated area of Jersey, St. Helier is split into three separate constituencies.

Candidates for Deputy must convince the people in their constituency to vote for them at election time. There are currently 37 Deputies in the Assembly. Once law changes are made, in 2026 there is intended to be 28 Deputies in the Assembly.

Deputies’ duties and responsibilities can include:

• attendance of all States Meetings
• contributing to meetings as they see fit (e.g. making speeches, asking questions)
• voting on the outcome of debates
• the ability to lodge propositions (proposals for change) for debate in States Meetings
• Responding to queries from constituents
• Meeting Islanders to discuss matters of interest or concern

If a Deputy has taken on any additional roles in the Assembly, for example, as a Minister, on a Scrutiny Panel or Committee, their responsibilities may also include:

• a regular programme of Scrutiny Public Hearings and panel meetings
• attendance of meetings of the Council of Ministers
• legal responsibilities relating to laws within their ministerial remit
• Answering Written Questions, Oral Questions, Questions Without Notice, or in Scrutiny Public Hearings on matters within their ministerial remit.

Senators:

Senators are elected to represent the entire Island. From the point of view of someone wishing to stand for election as a Senator, this means having to run an election campaign which seeks support from all Jersey voters. There are currently no Senators in the States Assembly but law changes are due to make 9 senatorial roles available to be filled at the 2026 election. This page will be updated to confirm when the update to the law has been approved and is in effect.

Senators’ duties include:

• attendance of all States Meetings
• contributing to States Meetings as they see fit
• voting on the outcome of debates
• the ability to lodge propositions (proposals for change) for debate in States Meetings
• Responding to queries from constituents
• Meeting Islanders to discuss matters of interest or concern.

If a Senator has taken on any additional roles in the Assembly, for example as a Minister, or on a Scrutiny Panel or Committee, their responsibilities may also include:

• a regular programme of Scrutiny Public Hearings and panel meetings
• attendance of meetings of the Council of Ministers
• legal responsibilities relating to laws within their ministerial remit
• Answering Written Questions, Oral Questions, Questions Without Notice, or in Scrutiny Public Hearings on matters within their ministerial remit.

How to decide which role to go for?

If you want to stand for election to become a States Member you need to decide which role you want to aim for. It’s completely your decision. Remember you can only submit one nomination form. As explained above, the powers and responsibilities of each role are identical in many aspects, for example: all types of elected Member have the right to bring proposals for debate to the States Assembly, and all have the power to vote on those proposals. All elected Members are eligible to be appointed as Chief Minister. The key differences are in terms of who you represent and the quantity of people you’ll have to convince to vote for you. For Connétables, a notable difference is that you are head of a Parish and a States Member. For Deputies and Senators the key difference is whether you want to have an island-wide mandate representing everyone, or if you want to keep your representation localised to one constituency.

Nomination form and process

Islanders who decide to stand for election must complete a nomination form and gather written support of ten other people who are willing to back their candidacy. If you are thinking about standing for election in 2026, it’s advisable to find supporters as early as you can so you have plenty of time to check they are eligible to nominate you.

The nomination form is a document which provides details such as:

• The individual’s personal information
• Confirmation of the role they intend to stand for
• The constituency or Parish they wish to represent
• Whether they intend to stand as a member of a political party or as an independent candidate
• A list of ten people – one proposer and nine seconders – who publicly support the individual’s candidacy and are eligible to vote for them
• Personal details of those supporters, including their electoral roll number

The rules for the nominations process are set out in Part 4A of the Elections (Jersey) Law 2022.

An example nomination form will be made available here to potential candidates closer to the election.

Who can nominate a candidate?

Candidates’ proposers and seconders must:

1. Live in the constituency the candidate wishes to represent; and
2. Be on the electoral register for that constituency.

If you are intending to stand for election in a St. Helier constituency, be certain that your proposers live in the correct constituency and are register to vote there. Proposers and seconders should check with their Parish Hall that they are on the electoral register and eligible to nominate the candidate. Names, addresses and electoral roll numbers given on nomination forms need to match the electoral register. To avoid mistakes, ask your Parish to check and confirm these details.

Candidates should not underestimate how long it may take to find eligible people to nominate them. Start early to avoid a last minute rush.

Preparing to stand for election

There are several things you can do right now to learn more about what States Members do, how States business works, and what’s required of election candidates. Here’s a list to get you started:

• Attend our special event on 24 June 2025 for aspiring election candidates to meet with current States Members and learn more about what it takes to stand for election and to work as a States Member. Visit our Eventbrite page to book.
• Register for candidate information by joining our mailing list. Sign up here for exclusive updates.
• Watch States meetings online, or in-person in the public gallery.
• Keep up to date with local news to understand the issues that current Members are dealing with.
• Read Propositions which are due for debate and familiarise yourself with the work of Scrutiny.
• Take a look at what the current Members are doing and saying by following them on social media.
• Find a mentor or arrange a shadowing opportunity. Current and former States Members may be able to help you on the road to candidacy. You can contact current States Members using the contact details listed on the States Assembly website. If you’d like to get in touch with a former States Member and are unable to find contact details, get in touch with Vote.je and we will assist where possible.

As the 2026 election approaches, Vote.je will provide further information about what is involved in campaigning and how you can be nominated as a candidate.