With islanders heading to the polls on Sunday to elect Jersey’s next States Assembly, attention will soon turn to what happens after the votes have been counted.
While election day decides who will occupy the Assembly’s 49 seats, it is only the beginning of a process that will ultimately determine Jersey’s next Chief Minister and their government.
Here’s a guide to what happens next…
Sunday 7 June: Islanders vote
Polling stations will be open from 8am until 8pm on Sunday 7 June.
Voters will elect nine Senators, 28 Deputies and 12 Constables, who together will make up the next States Assembly.
Monday 8 June: Results begin to emerge
With votes being counted across the Island, the full election result may not be known until Monday 8 June.
Some smaller constituencies and parishes are expected to declare earlier, with results published as they become available.
Thursday 11 June: Chief Minister nominations
Any successful candidate — whether elected as a Senator, Deputy or Constable — can be nominated for the role of Chief Minister.
Nominations must be submitted by 5pm on Thursday 11 June and require the support of at least six other States Members.
Candidates must also provide a statement outlining their vision and priorities, as well as how they would carry out the responsibilities of the role.
Friday 12 June: Swearing-in
Newly elected Members will be formally sworn in at the Royal Court before taking up their roles in the Assembly.
Friday 19 June: Candidates choose a Chief-Minister-designate
The newly elected Assembly will then meet to appoint a Chief-Minister-designate.
Candidates will each deliver a speech of up to ten minutes before facing questions from fellow Members for up to an hour.
If only one candidate is nominated, they will become Chief-Minister-designate once questioning concludes.
Where there is more than one candidate, Members will vote. If no candidate secures a majority and more than two people are standing, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated after each round until a winner emerges.
Friday 26 June: Building a Council of Ministers
Once appointed, the Chief-Minister-designate must submit their proposed ministerial team by the morning of Friday 26 June.
This list sets out who they want to appoint to each ministerial role and the order in which appointments should be considered by the Assembly.
The nominations will then be published.
Monday 29 June: Ministers are appointed
The States Assembly will meet to vote on ministerial appointments.
Although the Chief-Minister-designate proposes candidates, other Members can also be nominated for ministerial positions.
Each candidate will make a short speech and answer questions before Members vote.
If the Assembly chooses someone other than the Chief-Minister-designate’s preferred candidate for a particular role, the Chief-Minister-designate can amend the remaining nominations and the order in which they are considered.
Once all ministerial positions have been filled, the Council of Ministers is formally established.
At that point, the Chief-Minister-designate officially becomes Chief Minister.
What else is due to be decided?
After ministers are appointed, Members will elect the chairs of:
- The Privileges and Procedures Committee
- The Public Accounts Committee
- The five Scrutiny Panels
- The Planning Committee
Candidates for these positions will also give speeches and answer questions before votes are held.
What happens to the current government?
The current Chief Minister remains in office until the new Council of Ministers is fully formed.
This applies even if the outgoing Chief Minister is no longer an elected Member.
Existing ministers also remain in post until the new Council is appointed, provided they retain their status as elected Members.
If a minister loses their seat or did not stand for re-election, responsibility for that portfolio can be exercised by the Chief Minister or delegated to another minister until a new Council is in place.
Tuesday 14 July: New Assembly gets to work
The first standard States meeting of the new political term is scheduled for 14 July.
As well as finalising Scrutiny Panel and committee memberships, Members will begin normal Assembly business, including questions to ministers and debates on propositions lodged for consideration.