Skip to content

Love St Peter Port? Be an active voter.

A voter's guide to the parish by-election
Step 1
The main parish elections are in November each year. But a by-election can occur if an individual Douzenier or Constable step downs more than five months before the end of their term.

To vote in a by-election, first check the list of nominations in the Gazette Officielle to find out who is standing.

For the current St Peter Port by-election you can find the original Gazette notice on the inside back page of the Guernsey Press on Thursday 20, Friday 21 and Saturday 22 January 2022. Or view the notice online by clicking the button below.
Step 2
Watch the videos on this page. They will give you an idea of what a Douzenier does. Then click on the button below to read more detail about the roles of Douzenier and Constable.
Step 3
Go to the St Peter Port Parish Meeting on Wednesday 26 January 2022 at 7.30pm at the Constables Office in Lefebvre Street.

Anyone can go to a parish meeting but only those on the electoral roll can vote in the elections.

As there are MORE candidates than the number of seats there will EITHER be an election as part of the parish meeting (see Step 4) OR the meeting could decide to defer the election for two weeks (see Step 5).
Step 4
If there is an election at the parish meeting:

Either the candidates, or the people proposing them, will speak briefly about why they should be elected.

The vote at the parish meeting is by secret ballot. You will be given a voting slip if you are on the electoral roll.

The vote will be counted and announced on the night.
Step 5
If there is a 'deferred' election on Wednesday 9 February 2022:

If seven or more of the electors at the Parish Meeting raise their hands in favour, the election will be deferred for two weeks until Wednesday 9 February. Delaying the election means that a polling station(s) are set up and anyone in the parish who is on the electoral roll can vote, not just those at the meeting.

A new notice will appear in the Gazette Officielle listing the candidates, the location of the polling station(s) and the opening hours.

Candidates can campaign for votes just like a general election.

Voting has to be in person, there's no postal voting in parish elections.

The vote will be counted after the polls have closed and announced later that night.
Step 6
Sign up for our Women in Public Life newsletter so you can keep up to date with public office vacancies. If you are into social media, join our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.

Guernsey’s iconic women of the future?

Thank you for nominating a young woman or girl for our future iconic Guernsey women campaign to celebrate International Women’s Day!

Nominations close on Sunday 6 March at 17.00.

Please fill in the details below.

miriam-makeba-SA

Miriam Makeba - South Africa

Nominated by: Christine James

Zenzile Miriam Makeba (1932 to 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, United Nations goodwill ambassador, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including Afropop, jazz, and world music, she was an advocate against apartheid and white-minority government in South Africa. In 2020 she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 women of the century. 

South Africa is ranked 12th in the world for percentage of women in national parliament: 45.8% (source: data.ipu.org) 

Are you from South Africa? Please email hello@womeninpubliclife.gg if there is a social or cultural group for people from South Africa in Guernsey.

Want to learn more about public office vacancies in Guernsey? 

Sign up to our newsletter 

The original image “The Hague Jazz 2008 – Miriam Makeba” by Haags Uitburo is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. 

jacinda-adern-2

Jacinda Ardern - New Zealand

Nominated by: Martin Lock

Jacinda Ardern (born 1980) has served as prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017. In 2019, she led the country through the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings, rapidly introducing strict gun laws in response, and throughout 2020 she directed the country’s widely praised response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ardern was the world’s second elected head of government to give birth in office when her daughter was born in 2018. ‘An inspiring Prime Minister who brought a nation together with true leadership, empathy and compassion.’

New Zealand is ranked 4th in the world for percentage of women in national parliament: 48.3% (source: data.ipu.org) 

Other iconic women: Dame Whina Cooper, nominated by Claire Fisher, and Kate Sheppard, nominated by Anna Cooper.

Are you from New Zealand? You may be interested in joining the ANZACs in Guernsey Facebook group

Want to learn more about public office vacancies in Guernsey? 

Sign up to our newsletter