Referendum on States reform

​​ About the Electoral Commission and its aims​

​​​The Electoral Commission was established by the States of Jersey in 2011 against a background of numerous failures to agree electoral system reforms following the introduction of ministerial government.

Terms of reference​​

The commission's task was to consider the:

• classes of States member
• constituencies and mandates
• number of States members
• terms of office

and any other relevant issues which arose during its work.

The process​​

Following the appointment of its members, in May 2012 the commission began a three-month public consultation on its terms of reference. It received more than 340 written submissions and heard from 35 people at public hearings. All submissions were made public, unless the commission felt there were reasonable grounds for anonymity.

The commission also reviewed all previous studies and research.

On 22 October 2012, the commission's interim report and provisional recommendations were published and distributed to every household in Jersey, and meetings were held in every parish so that Islanders could hear an explanation of the recommendatio​ns and give their own views. Written comments were invited by 23 November 2012, and the commission received a further 97.

Having considered all submissions, the commission presented its final recommendations to the Privileges and Procedures Committee in January 2013.

Islanders are now asked to vote for one of three options put forward by the commission.​

Electoral Commission Final Report January 2013 o​n States Assembly website​​

Members of the Electoral Commission​

​​​​​​The commission comprised three States members and three non-elected members.

​​​States members

On 15 March 2012, the States appointed Sir Philip Bailhache chairman of the Electoral Commission, and Deputy James Baker and Connétable Juliette Gallichan were appointed as members,

• Sir Philip Bailhache
• Deputy James Baker
• Connétable Juliette Gallichan

Non-elected members​

On 15 May 2012, the States appointed three people as the non-elected members of the commission:​

• ​​Professor Edward Sallis, a recently retired as principal of Highlands College
• Dr Jonathan Renouf, a producer with the BBC
• Mr Colin Storm, the retired former chief executive of Guinness Ltd

All three were nominated for appointment by the Privileges and Procedures Committee.​​

Re​ferendum on the States Assembly composition​

​​What was the result of the referendum?

On Wednesday 24 April 2013, voters chose Option B from the three options in the referendum:

• parish Constables continue to be members of the States
• the number of States members fall from 49 to 42: 30 Deputies and 12 parish Constables
• six large electoral districts, each choosing five Deputies

Under Option B proposals, which are not binding, St Helier would be divided into two districts, and other parishes would join together to make new electoral districts. Every voter would cast six votes for States members: for five Deputies within their electoral district, and for their parish Constable.​

How was the result ​​reached?

Across the Island, 16,624 people - 26% of registered voters - cast their vote for one of the three options.

In the first round of the ballot:

• 39.59% voted for Option A
• 40.93% voted for Option B
• 19.48% voted for Option C

Because none of the options received more than half the votes cast, the ballot papers from Option C (which received the fewest votes across the Island) were re-distributed between Option A and Option B where voters had indicated a second choice on their ballot paper.

With Option C's ballot papers re-distributed:

• 6,707 votes were cast for Option A
• 8,190 votes were cast for Option B

First rou​​​nd by parish​

Secon​d round by parish (with second choices added)

What we​re the other options?​

The Electoral Commission set out two possible options for reform, Option A and Option B in the referendum. Voters were also offered Option C, which was for no change.

Option A

Under Option A:

• parish Constables would no longer have been members of the States
• there would have been 42 States members, known as Deputies
• there would have been six large districts, each choosing seven Deputies

Option C

Under Option C the current system agreed for 2014 would have remained. There would have been 49 States members:

• 8 Senators elected Island-wide
• 29 Deputies elected in constituencies
• 12 parish Constables

Under Option C ​the Senators would have continued with an Island-wide mandate and would have been elected for the same period of time as Deputies and Constables.

Constables and Deputies would have been elected on a parish basis, as before.​​