Numbers up in Senatorial poll

Friday 21st October 2011, 2:57PM BST.

Sorting the votes in the Senatorial election at St Saviour’s Parish Hall

SIGNIFICANTLY more people turned out to vote on Wednesday than in the 2008 elections.

Nearly 4,000 more electors chose to have their say this week on who would become a Senator in the new States Assembly.

In total, 28,218 Islanders voted in the Senatorial race – an increase on the 24,338 voters who turned out in 2008.

The total number of voters has risen steadily for each of the past three elections.

The number of voters in the Island – 61,987 – has risen by 6,845 since 2008 and only St Clement showed a fall in the number of voters taking part in the Senatorial elections when compared to 2008.

1
Jon

October 21, 2011 at 3:31 pm

So only 45% of the electorate bothered to cast their vote.

This is appalling and I hope none of those 55% who couldn’t be bothered to vote, think they still have the right to gripe about the manner in which the Island is governed.

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2
Hedinda Sands

October 21, 2011 at 3:35 pm

This is good and the authorities deserve some credit for their ‘register to vote’ campaign

On the other hand, a higher population means more voters

This is a massive mandate for:
http://www.philipbailhache.je/my-manifesto/

but be warned that this is a document drawn up by a lawyer.
You 17,538 did read the small print and research the background with due diligence ?

Will Bailhache take us forward or will it effectively be rule by team Bailhache and the constables ?
-like the good old days before all this ‘impoliteness’

I am sad and scared, but time will tell.

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3
Kermit

October 21, 2011 at 4:19 pm

Not surprised after what the States put us through.

Was time for a change…

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4
A. Fell

October 21, 2011 at 6:49 pm

I did manage to vote but it was not an easy process as parking was virtually impossible both at Rouge Bouillon and First Tower polling stations. I know so many people tried but could not park & eventually just gave up & went home in disgust. The streets around these areas were dangerously congested especially in the evening. Would it not be sensible to have polling stations in places with parking?
It did not help that the map in the Candidates Manifestos magazine published by the States was incorrect & showed part of district 3 as being district4.
One would think that after all these years in such a small place as Jersey, these basic problems would have been sorted out years ago.

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5
Pip Clement

October 21, 2011 at 9:21 pm

I would not worry about his manifesto too much Hedinda.
Jersey political manifestos are more like New Year’s resolutions.
Most of start the year with good intentions; a few less bevies, no ciggies, less red meat, eat our five fruit or veggies a day, walk more, etc and by February we are back in our old ways.
Any plan to reform the States must give a large majority of the existing members a good chance of keeping their seats or it is a non starter, they might sound like turkeys but they are not going to vote for Christmas!

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6
Dynasty (Repeat IV)

October 22, 2011 at 9:16 am

Good post Pip @5

Granted; the turkeys may be allowed to stay if they are good little turkeys – naughty or”‘impolite” elected turkeys have been excluded from the ‘henhouse’ for 6 months, and team Bailhache is now stronger than ever

“A. Fell” @4 has highlighted the difficulties for busy people to actually vote, -never mind carrying out due diligence checking the record and attributes of the candidate before signing the contract with your “X” in the voting booth.

It is all in the manifesto, either stated or between the lines
The Bailhache Manifesto has a mandate and it includes several no whinging and no ‘impoliteness’ clauses.
The increased turnout is good but I suspect that this landslide has been more of a triumph of PR rather than a triumph of democracy.

Sometimes the electorate are pleasantly surprised by what they have bought into – more often they are gravely disappointed.
If Sir Philip fails to satisfy it is all pre-explained in the manifesto – it is the fault of the opposition not the fault of those in power.
Seamlessly stitched up !

Hedinda x.

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7
Hedinda Sands

October 22, 2011 at 10:00 am

OMG – Just seen today’s JEP front page !

Pip : “I would not worry about his manifesto too much Hedinda”

Really ???!

-Fines for our elected representatives when they are deemed ‘unruley’

Did the earth just move?

Was it a lurch to the right?

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8
Bean About A Bit

October 22, 2011 at 10:43 am

I’m a little confused @ 4 A.Fell.

If you were voting at Rouge Bouillon or First Tower Schools then surely that was because you live in those districts.

So why not walk!

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9
James Wiley

October 22, 2011 at 12:38 pm

Kermit, so why did you not vote for a change? Bailhache is just more of the same only worse!

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10
Leon

October 24, 2011 at 2:26 pm

A vote in this circus is a vote for a corrupt undemocratic secretive broken system.
If you vote then you choose to support it, tell your children that.

And please could the uneducated with no other argument please stop saying the old tagline “if you don’t vote then you have no right to complain”.
We have every right to complain, the difference is we are not blind sheep like the rest of you……

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11
Beany

October 25, 2011 at 9:36 am

@ A Fell: pre-poll voting at St.Pauls gate was available for weeks before polling day. There is no excuse to have not voted if you wanted to.

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