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 now less than one year away.

On Sunday 7 June 2026, all 49 States Members will be elected to serve for a four-year term through to 2030.

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.

Election campaign activity

Manifestos

The manifesto is your opportunity to communicate to voters in writing to explain who you are and what you stand for. Vote.je publishes each manifesto in an official printed election information booklet and online. There is a word count limit of 500 words, which should be ample to get your key points across.

Things to think about to make it easy for voters to pick you:

• Get to the point
• Be clear about where you stand
• Tell Islanders what matter to you the most
• Explain your suitability to be a States Member using examples to demonstrate why

The text you decide to submit will be published as-is. Ensure you proofread it carefully to give voters the best impression of you.

Voters sometimes refer back to manifestos from previous elections. If you have stood for election in Jersey before, don’t be surprised if you are asked about the contents of your earlier manifestos.

Manifesto videos

In addition to written manifestos, Vote.je invites all candidates to record a brief video for publication online. These videos are candidates’ opportunity to present themselves on camera to outline key campaign messages and top priorities. Further information about the videos will be provided closer to the next election.

The manifesto videos will appear on the Vote.je website and on Vote.je’s YouTube channel.

Tips for first-timers

If you are standing for election and you do not have a track record as an elected Member you should think about how best to demonstrate what you would bring to the States Assembly.

Unlike other jobs, there is no formal job description for being a States Member. However, there are many attributes that make individuals well-suited to being an elected representative.

What do voters value?

• Candidates who understand the community they wish to represent
• Candidates with experience of work, voluntary roles or successfully-delivered community initiatives which prove their suitability to be a legislator, an advocate for a constituency, a scrutineer, a communicator, a consensus-builder, a problem-solver, and so on.
• Candidates who are clear about who they are and what they stand for – this applies to individuals and to members of political parties

If you have transferrable skills, make sure people know about them. If you have success with community-based initiatives, volunteering or other unpaid work, include this in your manifesto, or talk about these experiences when you are speaking with voters. Do you have a connection with a particular group of Islanders? Think about how including this in your campaign could help persuade that group – and others – to support you.

Hustings

Hustings are public meetings where election candidates can be asked questions by voters. Because the States Assembly has different types of elected Members, there are typically hustings events for candidates standing to be:

• Connétable of a Parish
• Deputy of a constituency
• Senator representing the whole Island

Hustings are usually hosted by an individual who acts as a neutral referee who takes questions from the audience and ensures that each candidate has fair opportunity to answer. Candidates are given a set amount of time to answer each question – often limited to one minute – and the order in which candidates answer changes so that everyone gets to be the first to answer.

Hustings are a great way for voters to see how candidates act under pressure. Candidates can use hustings to prove that they can think on their feet and communicate effectively to an audience. This is similar to parts of States Meetings and Public Hearings held by Scrutiny Panels, where States Members can ask Government Ministers on-the-spot questions.

How to prepare for hustings:

• Think about how you want to present yourself to voters
• Be prepared: stay up to date with local news, issues and hot topics
• Practice! If there are important points you know you want to make, be ready to make them and express them clearly
• If you’re standing as a candidate with a political party, ensure you know what expectations your party has of you
• Expect the unexpected: Have a plan for the answers you don’t know. If you can’t answer on the spot, could you follow up afterwards by email or by posting on social media?

None of the Above, a.k.a. ‘None of the Candidates’

Ideally, elections have more candidates than there are available seats. In Jersey elections prior to 2022, candidates who faced no opposition were ‘elected unopposed’, which meant they did not have to face an election.

In 2022, a new option was introduced to ballot papers to ensure that all election candidates must receive a majority of votes to be elected. This is option is called ‘None of the Candidates’.

‘None of the Candidates’ only appears on ballot papers when there are either the same number of candidates as there are vacancies, or fewer candidates than vacancies. Having this option means that candidates are not automatically elected without opposition. If the majority of voters chose ‘None of the Candidates’, a new nominations process would be triggered and prospective candidates would be invited to stand.

It is possible for candidates who lost to ‘None of the Candidates’ in the initial election to stand again.

What candidates need to know about ‘None of Candidates’:

• You are advised to seek support from voters and campaign for election as if there was an opposing candidate
• Be aware that it is possible for people to run a campaign in support of None of the Above
• You will be invited to hustings events – this is a great opportunity for you to prove why people should vote for you rather than for None of the Above to trigger another election
• Candidates who lose out to ‘None of the Above’ are able to stand for election again