An Election Observation team has given overwhelming praise to last week’s general election, saying it was an efficient, well-organised, and well-administered process that “reflected a strong commitment to democratic principles”.
“While no election is perfect, this one had no major faults – remarkable for a state that has only recently undergone a major change in the way it votes,” said Hon. Alvina Reynolds.
“We look forward to publishing our full report in the next two months which will delve deeper into our findings.”
The Mission was conducted by the British Islands and Mediterranean Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA BIMR) which has published a preliminary statement, outlining its initial assessment of the democratic process.
Hon Reynolds was the Head of Mission. She is the President of the Senate of Saint Lucia. She worked with two election analysts and other CPA representatives while in Guernsey.
They attended pre-election events, met interested parties, and observed at polling stations, the count, and the declaration.
The election observers have also praised the competence and commitment of polling officers across the island with Mission Analyst Mark Stephens saying how impressed he was that all polling officers were given proper training.
He said that was apparent when the Mission observed them on each of the polling days.
“We were impressed with the organisation that went into the multiple opportunities voters were given to cast their ballot.
“We also noticeed that polling officers would apologise to the public if they had to wait…it all added to the smooth running I thought.”
The team of three observers from Saint Lucia, Scotland and Montserrat arrived on the island on June 11 to keep an eye on how the election was being carried out, and comparing it against international standards and domestic laws.
Their initial findings praised the “notable progress in fostering a more inclusive and representative political environment”. This was already apparent in this election with the number of female candidates reaching a record high of 33% of the total candidates nominated.
Commenting on the overall findings, Hon. Reynolds had many positive things to say, before the full report is published at a later date.
“Coming from another island state, it has been fascinating to observe the democratic process in Guernsey. I have been overwhelmed by the dedication and enthusiasm of volunteers across the island. They should take great pride in the work they did to ensure a smooth, efficient and calm process for voters across the island, which this Mission commends profoundly.
“In particular, I want to praise the strong commitment to democratic values embedded at each stage of the process. Great care was taken to ensure voters had every possible chance to participate, with two advance polling days offered in addition to postal voting.
“Over the past two weeks, we met with various groups across the island; thank you everyone who engaged with us so openly, constructively and eagerly. I was particularly pleased to speak with women and youth groups who find themselves at an interesting cross-roads in Guernsey’s democratic history. While this election saw more women candidates stand than ever before, people aged under 30 represented the biggest group of unregistered voters.
“While no election is perfect, this one had no major faults – remarkable for a state that has only recently undergone a major change in the way it votes. We look forward to publishing our full report in the next two months which will delve deeper into our findings.”
The mission examined broader issues such as gender equality, LGBTQ+, representation, and the participation of persons with disabilities.
However, it drew attention to the fact that only 52% of eligible voters registered which was the lowest number since 2020, with the majority of registered voters over 50 and the minority under 30.
Ms Reynolds added: “Our full report, will delve further and make recommendations into how Guernsey’s can put a strategy in place to reach younger voters and different ages groups.”
This Observation Mission took place at an interesting moment in Guernsey’s democratic history, with the election being only the second time that the States has been elected on a fully island wide basis.
Since 2020, all of Guernsey’s Deputies are elected this way – allowing voters to select up to 38 candidates.
While this system ensures equal representation and suffrage, some candidates have said it was a challenge to do face-to-face campaigns.