BLOG: Polls, politics and the pandemic - the Guernsey Election that never was
Well, it was supposed to be a monumental day for Guernsey. The results of the very first island-wide election would have been announced this evening. But sadly, it was not to be.
Like in previous years, Channel TV had planned to dedicate a full half-hour to an election special in Thursday’s programme. The Guernsey news team would have been planning the coverage for months and many of our colleagues from Jersey would have travelled over to help.
This general election was going to be significantly different to any other in the island’s history. The referendum in 2018 voted to switch from the parish-based voting system to an island-wide one; meaning that each islander would have up to 38 votes to cast for any candidate, regardless of where they live.
Around 25,000 islanders had signed up to the electoral roll, which has remained open. This means that 950,000 votes could have been cast this week.
Polls would have officially opened on Saturday 13 June. Beau Séjour Leisure Centre would have opened its doors as the island’s only ‘super polling station’. Then on 16 June, polling stations in all the other parishes would have joined, giving islanders four days to cast their votes.
The count centre at Beau Séjour would have rolled into action at 09:00 on 18 June, with the results announced later in the day.
In April, the States of Guernsey voted to postpone the election to June 2021. But because the island is free from coronavirus and has done so well to keep the public safe, the States has gone back to the drawing board.
The States Assembly and Constitution Committee have decided on two new dates for later this year, 30 September and 7 October. The committee is due to present these two dates in the next States meeting in July. Deputies will vote and set a new election date in the diary.
With the new election date not set in stone, we don't know when the next term will begin. But islanders have their own ideas about what they'd like to see from the next group of deputies.
WATCH what islander's would like to see in the next States term:
For the 37 current deputies, their term was due to end on 30 June but it's been extended. Deputies can still opt to step down at the end of June. I decided to contact each deputy to ask them whether they are likely to stand or not in the next election. 23 of the current deputies got back to me.
11 are running again
6 are standing down
4 are undecided about whether to run again
2 who weren't going to run in June have now changed their mind, saying they feel duty bound to stand after the coronavirus pandemic.
For the first time ever in Guernsey, political parties would have emerged on the island. By April 2020, only one party registered. The Alliance Party was founded by Barry Weir and was hoping to field at least 15 candidates in June.
Guernsey’s appetite for change, along with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, has put the first island-wide election in limbo.
Issues like education, discrimination or travel could lead the election debate, and for the first time, party politics could come into play.
But when the time does come, it will no doubt be a truly significant moment in the island’s history.