Five options for island wide voting referendum outlined

Five options for the island wide voting referendum have been outlined by Guernsey's States Assembly & Constitution Committee.

The States has been mandated to ask islanders about adopting island wide voting in 2020.

The committee are recommending the following options:

  • One island-wide electoral district. Each voter would have 38 votes at each election. Each Deputy would serve for four years. An election would be held every four years for all Deputies at once.

  • One island-wide electoral district. Each voter would have 12 or 13 votes at each election. Each Deputy would serve for six years. An election would be held every two years for a third of Deputies each time.

  • Two electoral districts. Each voter would have 10 votes at each election. Each Deputy would serve for four years. An election would be held every two years for half of the Deputies each time.

  • Four electoral districts. Each voter would have 9 or 10 votes at each election. Each Deputy would serve for four years. An election would be held every four years for all Deputies at once.

  • Seven electoral districts. Each voter would have 5 or 6 votes at each election. Each Deputy would serve for four years. An election would be held every four years for all Deputies at once. In other words, the current electoral system.

In a policy letter, the committee said a simple 'yes/no' question would have "significant weaknesses".

Some politicians have previously expressed their concern about having more than two options in the referendum.

Deputy Barry Paint said have several options would 'make it fail'.