ELECTIONS AND REFORM: SMALL BRANCH VIEW
discussion about the prospective success of the candidates on in the run-up to elections and how accurate are they?
The Media and Elections The media profile the election candidates and their manifestoes. They add a little excitement and enthusiasm in the run-up to the election and its results. Unfortunately they provide very little analysis of the manifestoes, the majority of which tend to pay undying loyalty to the Island, its perceived charm and beauty.
The absence of political parties probably ensures that media presentation of the candidates and the elections is relatively unbiased and uninfluenced by segments of the population. Voters are influenced by a mix of tribal/ family loyalties and personalities. Introduction of political parties would, undoubtedly, change the dynamics of media coverage and reporting.
Voter Registration
The Voter Registration process and access to voting is firm, robust and secure. However, there is strong evidence of tactical voting. When faced with the opportunity of selecting 5 candidates, many voters confine themselves to voting for fewer than 5 or sometimes even to a single candidate.
Gender quotas
The female to male ratio of the electors in Alderney is approximately 55%:45% with more female electors. Currently there is only one female Member of the States of Alderney, although 3 women stood in the most recent 2014 election. There have been as many as three female Members of the States of Alderney at the same time historically. Gender quotas have never been discussed. I suspect that if the matter
were put to public consultation, the issues would not strike a resonant chord because the majority of the electorate is in excess of the age of 50 and women voters are not calling for such initiatives.
Application of technology to the voting process
A simple interrogatory screen in a booth, where a menu displayed the candidates, constrained the number of votes and captured an audit trail would eliminate the open outcry method of count. It would need to be accompanied by some independent audit of the transaction trail and the figure count. However, the cost reduction would only be achieved over a number of elections as there would be some capital and programming cost of the system.
Education and Turnout The electorate is well briefed on Island issues but tends to ignore the macro-political and economic influences of the outside world in selecting the candidates for whom they wish to vote. If I quote my own manifesto in 2012: “No Island is an Island, especially in 21st Century.” The turnout of about 70% is satisfactory when compared with other
jurisdictions. The concern is that younger people tend not to vote or register, a reflection on the broad disillusion of younger people with politics in general in the Western Hemisphere.
Young People
Engagement of young people is a critical issue in Alderney and in the Bailiwick of Guernsey as a whole. The demographics are alarming as the number of people over the age of 50 is in excess of 50% of the population in Alderney and approaching that figure in Guernsey. Only two members of the States of Alderney are aged under 60. Inevitably many States Members tend to focus on the issues of aging, particularly health and social services, the highest areas of public expenditure in the Island and the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Electoral prospects tend to diminish for States Members who seek re-election if they advocate reform and reduction in these areas of public expenditure. Ultimately, the younger generation will have to assume the financial responsibility for what are generous health and social services, policies which cannot be sustained without new
Above: The distinctive ‘blue’ post boxes are a feature of Alderney in contrast to the red post boxes elsewhere in the British Isles.
and additional taxation. The remuneration structure and organisation of Committee Meetings do not attract younger people. They have the primary responsibility of their families and a full time job. For those employed, where employers are willing to release them, and for the self-employed under retirement age, the remuneration issue could be addressed by paying those under retirement age the equivalent of what they forego through engagement in public service.
Conclusion
In summary, Alderney and the Bailiwick of Guernsey have some very specific challenges in addressing electoral reform, the most notable being the absence of political parties, while other issues, principally demographic issues, are the same as in other jurisdictions but are seen in sharper relief in Alderney and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
The Parliamentarian | 2015: Issue Three | 175
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