New report on election turnout

The Policy Centre has published a revised edition of its report Election turnout in Jersey. It includes a comparison with the recent Guernsey election and a summary of a survey on intentions to vote in the 2026 Jersey election. Some key points –

• Turnout in Jersey over the past 30 years has averaged around 44% – lower than in all OECD countries.
• In 2022, only about 3 in 10 eligible voters actually voted.
• Older people are much more likely to vote than younger people – only 17% of Islanders under 34 voted in the last election.
• Turnout is higher in rural parishes than in St Helier , and homeowners are much more likely to vote than tenants.
• Many people who don’t vote say it’s because they feel it won’t make a difference, they don’t trust the system, or they don’t feel informed about candidates.

Logistical changes planned for the 2026 election may physically help some people vote, but are unlikely on their own to significantly increase turnout.

The report concludes that improving turnout will depend as much on confidence in the in the political system as on changes to voting arrangements.

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