Island Wide Voting meeting planned in Guernsey

Credit: ITV News

A public meeting on Island Wide Voting has been announced in Guernsey.

The public will have the opportunity to question the members of the States about plans for the proposed referendum.

Five options for the island wide voting referendum have been outlined by Guernsey's States Assembly & Constitution Committee.

The States has been mandated to ask islanders about adopting island wide voting in 2020.

The committee are recommending the following options:

  • One island-wide electoral district. Each voter would have 38 votes at each election. Each Deputy would serve for four years. An election would be held every four years for all Deputies at once.

  • One island-wide electoral district. Each voter would have 12 or 13 votes at each election. Each Deputy would serve for six years. An election would be held every two years for a third of Deputies each time.

  • Two electoral districts. Each voter would have 10 votes at each election. Each Deputy would serve for four years. An election would be held every two years for half of the Deputies each time.

  • Four electoral districts. Each voter would have 9 or 10 votes at each election. Each Deputy would serve for four years. An election would be held every four years for all Deputies at once.

  • Seven electoral districts. Each voter would have 5 or 6 votes at each election. Each Deputy would serve for four years. An election would be held every four years for all Deputies at once. In other words, the current electoral system

These proposals will then be debated by deputies in the States meeting on Wednesday 21st June, as part of plans entitled ‘Referendum on Guernsey’s voting system’.

SACC is proposing any vote is held using preferential and transferable voting (known as the Alternative Vote or Instant Run-Off) to determine which of the options is the most favoured and produce a clear result.

The referendum could be held in the summer of 2018.

Islanders can attend the meeting at the Harry Bounds Room at Les Cotils this Thursday at 7pm.

Deputy Matt Fallaize, President of the States' Assembly & Constitution Committee, will be present to answer islanders' questions about the issue.