Research recently carried out in Guernsey suggests that “the younger the islander, the less likely they are to feel well-informed about politics”.
With Guernsey’s second fully island wide election approaching, the electoral roll has reopened with everyone needing to register if they wish to be able to vote in June.
While candidates have yet to formally declare their intention to stand for election to the States, a number of people have publicly stated they will be.
This includes current Deputy Gavin St Pier who is political advisor to Future Guernsey – a not-for-profit political movement launched last year, with the aim of helping “activate decisive government and the delivery of policies essential to the long-term prosperity of all islanders”.
Research conducted for Future Guernsey found that 71% of men and nearly half (49%) of women over the age of 45 felt well-informed about politics, compared to just over half (53%) of men and 35% of women aged between 16 and 44.
The data collated suggests that women are less likely to feel well informed about local politics than men, and that women over 45 are less likely to register to vote.
“It’s heartening to see that younger voters are planning to register to vote and visit the polls this summer,” said Deputy St Pier.
“However, the research among older voters is incredibly concerning. People clearly feel frustrated and confused and, as a result, they might be tempted to bow out of the electoral process all together. We would urge them not to do so.
“We know that change is sorely needed, which is exactly why we founded Future Guernsey as a policy-led political movement. Islanders feel under informed, leading to a lack of understanding and, potentially, disengagement. We want to change that by setting out a well-researched, clear and deliverable manifesto, which we hope will help to re-engage those voters who have become disenchanted.”
Future Guernsey’s research was carried out between 31 July and 31 August last year, with four focus groups broken out by age category above 19 years old, and two friendship triads for young people aged 16-18. There was also a telephone survey of around 250 Guernsey residents.
Future Guernsey’s Chief Executive, Lindsey Freeman was most concerned about the discovery that many women are not planning to vote this summer.
The data suggests that as many as 6,093 women might be lost to the democratic process through either choosing not to register or not voting if they are registered.
Ms Freeman said this is a worrying trend.
“It’s particularly concerning to see that as many as two in ten of the women we spoke with claim they won’t be exercising a right which our grandmothers and great-grandmothers fought so hard for. We must try to reverse this trend and re-engage women as voters, candidates and advocates for change. We realise people are frustrated, but women silencing their own voices is not an effective route towards progress.”
Guernsey’s second fully island wide election is being held in June.
To be able to vote you must be over 16 years old and resident in Guernsey and registered at election2025.gg.
To stand for election a candidate must be over 18 years old and registered to vote themselves.
