YOU know that feeling you used to get as a child in the run up to Christmas?

Everything was about that big day, what presents you were going to get, what you were going to do and eat, and who you were going to see. And then when it finally came, after that restless night’s sleep because you were so excited, it was all over too quickly.

Well, that’s kind of like what last Wednesday was like. We talked about it, planned and re-planned, prepared and speculated until there was little about it we hadn’t thought about. And then it was over in a flash. The results came in, the parties were had and the losers commiserated.

For me as a child, before the tinsel and fairy lights had even come down, I was always on to the next thing – my birthday.

Counting down the days, greedily considering the second haul of presents that would arrive a matter of weeks after the first. Who would be invited to the big day? And who wouldn’t.

Again, this election has been similar. For as I write, politicians new and old have moved on from the excitement of the Island’s first ‘general’ election and now have their sights eagerly set on 14 November.

Because on that day a new Chief Minister will be chosen and the process of electing ministers and assistant ministers will begin. The question is, who is going to be invited to the party?

Currently, formal guest lists are being drawn up by prospective Chief Ministers, who are all competing as if they have arranged their party for the same day as a number of others.

How will they convince the ‘popular’ kids to back their party? What fun, excitement and opportunities can they offer to get them on side? And, if you can’t get enough people to come, do you scrap your plans and simply go to someone else’s?

Equally, the prospective ‘guests’ are likely to be playing their own game, seeing where they can get the best deal, whose party is going to be ‘cooler’ and where they can play the best part.

Importantly, they will also want to know what it is going to do to their reputation in the future. There will also be those plotting to gatecrash a few of the parties too.

The public, unfortunately, no longer have a say. We’ve done our bit and, as I have said, it was over in a flash despite the prolonged build-up that was stretched out perhaps a bit too long.

We also don’t get to know about the jockeying that is now going on behind the scenes. We can speculate, perhaps even predict, how some of it will go. But, crucially we won’t know. And, perhaps we never will.

Just a few weeks ago, although it does seem like longer, I quite agree, Members narrowly backed a proposal from Deputy Trevor Pitman to make the vote for Chief Minister public.

But it was close, 21 to 19, and is still to be formally adopted into Standing Orders. That debate is due to happen in two weeks’ time, and could even be reversed if a few of the old House change their minds or those who were absent the first time around turn up and vote against it.

All too quickly, we have gone from the voters being in charge to the politicians. But that is simply how it works. We are now in their hands. After all, we are the ones who voted those hands ‘capable’.

As a result it is important to remember what they promised us, what they said they would do and not do, how they said they would behave and who, if they bothered to, they said they wanted to be Chief Minister.

That way, we can keep a close eye on them and hold them to account where necessary, because there simply hasn’t been enough of that in the past.

I have heard this election described as ‘boring’ on more than one occasion over the past few weeks.

Yes, it is difficult to keep your spirits up if, like me, you attended six Senatorial hustings in not many more days, or had to make cups of tea for all the candidates in your district when they came knocking on your door.

Yes, most of them banged on about immigration, States spending and cost-cutting just a bit too much; yes, the space between the States being suspended and the election was probably a bit too long; and yes, it was dull seeing the same old people in the hustings audiences no matter what the event or the parish.

But, boring this election was not. In fact, I’d say the decision to move to a single election day helped in a big way to combat that. There was always something going on, someone saying something and, crucially, election night was fantastic.

All the votes were counted despite some initial concerns that the Senatorials may have to wait until the next day, and the results rolled in thick and fast throughout the night.

Nine serving States Members were kicked out and countless new ones joined the political ranks. There were tears, tantrums, laughter, shouts of joy and even a few funky straw hats.

And, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the thank-you signs that had replaced the election posters as I drove around the Island on Thursday.
Here’s just a few of my highlights, not necessarily because of who was elected but what it brought to the proceedings.

Best moment: Sadie Rennard singing Beautiful Jersey shortly after being elected Constable of St Saviour.

Best picture: Deputy-elect Christina Moore celebrating with her supporters wearing decorated hats more commonly seen on election days of old.
Worst excuse for not getting re-elected: Senator Freddie Cohen (it was all this paper’s fault, apparently).

Cringe moment: When Senatorial candidate Sylvia Lagadu launched into a rather heated attack on immigrants at the Trinity hustings. Her appearance in wet-look leggings at the student hustings was also a close contender.

Most gracious loser: Deputy Bob Hill when he conceded that the best man had won after being beaten by Steve Luce in St Martin.

And my own personal favourite was interviewing Susie Pinel in St Clement shortly after she topped the Deputies’ poll. She was visibly shaking, didn’t quite know what to do with herself and the result obviously meant a great deal.
When you see something like that you can’t help but feel excited.