Following Guernsey’s second fully island wide election, nine recommendations have been made to improve the system for next time we go to the polls.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association British Islands and Mediterranean Region, carried out an Election Observation Mission during the election period in June.
They met with candidates, the media, and voters, and observed at various election events including on polling day and at the count and declaration. That research has formed their suggestions for improving the Bailiwick’s election process.
Their ideas include the creation of a permanent electoral roll, reinforced commitment to an inclusive democratic process, stronger rules for party politics, a code of conduct for candidates, guidelines for the media, and more emphasis on youth engagement among others.
The full list of recommendations:
- Building on the successful pilot, continue the introduction of the electronic electoral roll, ensuring it is available in all polling stations for future elections.
- Extend the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to Guernsey to reinforce its commitment to equality, non-discrimination, and inclusive democratic participation.
- Adopt any future amendments to electoral legislation at least one year before the start of the electoral process, in line with international good practice. This will help ensure legal certainty and a level playing field for all participants.
- Consider developing a comprehensive legal framework to address current regulatory gaps, including rules on party organisation, campaign conduct, third-party involvement, in-kind contributions, media coverage during campaigns, and the resolution of electoral complaints and appeals. Establish a permanent supervisory authority to ensure consistent enforcement and accountability.
- Introduce a Code of Conduct for candidates. This requirement could strengthen the integrity of the campaign period, promote respectful public discourse, and reinforce candidate accountability.
- Consider introducing a Code of Conduct for election campaign media coverage to clarify the roles and responsibilities for fair and balanced reporting, ensuring consistent awareness and adherence across all stakeholders.
- Introduce targeted measures to foster youth participation in politics and the electoral process. This could include tailored messaging through media and social media platforms commonly used by young people, civic education programmes in secondary schools, public awareness campaigns on democratic rights and responsibilities, and dedicated support for young candidates.
- Review the merits of establishing a permanent electoral roll using relevant official data sources, to increase the number of eligible voters included on the electoral roll. This roll should be updated on a continuous basis to reflect newly eligible individuals, deaths, and changes in residency status.
- Establish clearer and more structured mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes, to improve transparency, ensure consistency, and strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.
From their time watching the island’s election, the observers found that stakeholders expressed a high level of trust in the election administration.
The Registrar-General of Electors and the election team conducted themselves in a professional, inclusive, and impartial manner, they said.
They also said that polling officials worked diligently and in an extremely helpful manner, that the counting of votes was transparent and concluded in a far quicker time than in 2020, and that the broad acceptance of the outcome is considered a cornerstone of a well-managed democratic process.
They found that overall, Guernsey’s legal framework for elections is inclusive and accessible, providing a solid legal basis for democratic participation, and noted that voting is permitted from the age of 16.
The CPA said this year’s election reflected meaningful progress on diversity and inclusion, supported by strengthened anti-discrimination protections put in place since October 2023.