Elections in Jersey

By-elections

Where there is a vacancy during the four-year term of the Assembly, it may be necessary to hold a by-election. By-elections are usually a one-off event where there is a vacancy to fill and only the registered voters in the Parish or Constituency with the vacancy are eligible to vote. Candidates are invited to stand in the by-election and the person who wins will take on the available role for the remaining time in the States Assembly until the following election.

Vote.je will publish details of candidates and polling dates in the event that there is a by-election.

Who can vote

You are eligible to register to vote if:

• You are aged 16 or over and:
  • have lived in Jersey for two years*; or
  • you have lived in Jersey for six months, plus a period that totals five years.

You do NOT have to be a British citizen to register to vote in Jersey.

Click here to register online, or contact your Parish of residence to get registered. If you have moved since the last election or are not sure if you are on the register you should check with your Parish.

*Note: On 25 June 2025, the States Assembly agreed to change the election law so that people need to have lived in Jersey for one year to be eligible to register to vote. This agreed change is due to come into effect shortly and this page will be updated once it is official.

How to decide who to vote for

Ahead of an election there can be lots of news coverage, social media, and events held for the election campaign. Deciding who wins your votes isn’t always easy. As Jersey’s official guide to elections, Vote.je is your one-stop shop for information about candidates and voting. You’ll find written manifestos and video content to learn more about who your candidates are and what they stand for.

The Vote.je resources aren’t just online. You will also find dates of events where you can meet and question the candidates in person, as well as their contact details if you wish to make direct contact with them. During the election campaign, Vote.je sends a printed booklet to all residential addresses that explains where, when and how to vote, as well as candidate manifestos. Information is provided in additional languages such as Portuguese, Polish and Romanian.

Independent and party candidates

Election candidates either stand for election as a member of a political party or as an independent candidate. Party candidates need to ensure their election advertising clearly states their party name. On election day, the ballot papers will say which political party a candidate is in so you know exactly what you are voting for.

In 2026, Vote.je will provide details of the political parties that have candidates standing for election.

None of the Above – a.k.a. ‘None of the Candidates’

‘None of the Candidates’ is an option available to voters only when there are either the same number of candidates as vacancies, or fewer candidates than vacancies. Having this option on the ballot paper means that candidates are not automatically elected without opposition. If ‘None of the Candidates’ won, a new nominations process would be triggered and prospective candidates will be invited to stand. It is possible for candidates who lost to ‘None of the Candidates’ in the initial election to stand again.

‘None of the Candidates’ is relatively new, having been introduced for the 2022 elections.

Manifestos

Election candidates create a ‘manifesto’, which is a way for candidates to explain what they intend to do as a States Member if they are successfully elected. Manifestos are typically a short piece of writing, but some candidates publish their own video or visual content to help communicate their manifesto to as many voters as possible.

The manifestos of all official election candidates are made available online on Vote.je. A printed version is distributed to Islanders during the campaign period. Candidates are also invited to record a short video version of their manifesto for publication on the Vote.je website and the Vote.je YouTube channel. Candidates and their supporters are welcome to post these on their own website or social media channels.

As a voter, you can use the manifesto as a way to decide which candidate is your preferred option. Voters often refer back to candidates’ manifestos as a way to measure how well they are performing against what they said they would do once they have been elected.

Campaign advertising – posters, leaflets and more

During the election campaign, Islanders can expect to see candidates’ posters and banners appearing in public locations. Candidate and political parties also tend to post leaflets or flyers through letterboxes to ask for support and votes on election day. You may also be ‘door-stepped’ by candidates at your home address. This is a traditional pre-election activity where candidates knock on doors around their constituency or Parish in order to speak with voters to find out about the issues and concerns in the local area and to see if you are interested in voting for them on election day.