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STATES OF JERSEY
PUBLIC ELECTIONS: VOTING ON SUNDAY 16TH OCTOBER 2011 (P.40/2011) – COMMENTS
Presented to the States on 29th March 2011 by the Comité des Connétable s
STATES GREFFE
2011 Price code: A P.40 Com.(2)
COMMENTS
Deputy Pitman's proposition comments on the financial and manpower implications for the States, but not for the parishes. The Comité wishes to make the following comments –
- As 2011 will be the first occasion on which there is a general election for Senators, Connétable s and Deputies on the same day, it will not be possible to conclude whether voter turn-out from making the polling day a Sunday is any different to that which might be achieved should polling day have been a Sunday for previous elections. For this reason, the Comité considers polling day should remain on a Wednesday to provide a benchmark against which the variation in voter turn-out can be measured if polling day is moved to a Sunday in a future year.
- There will be financial and manpower implications for the parishes and additional costs if staff are required to work on a Sunday. In addition, work will be required the day prior to the election to set up premises, and this will likewise incur additional costs for Saturday work.
- The availability of premises used as polling stations, for example Church Hall s, might be limited on a Sunday.
- The initial response from a number of those who assist voluntarily as Adjoints indicates that they will not be available on a Sunday.
- The States has recently agreed an amendment to the Public Elections (Jersey) Law 2002 which permits postal votes returned to the Judicial Greffe by noon on the day of the poll to be accepted (see Draft Public Elections (Amendment No. 4) (Jersey) Law 201- (P.14/2011)), but as postal deliveries will soon be reduced to 5 days (Monday–Friday), the deadline for receipt of postal votes would be cut back to noon on the Friday for a Sunday election.
- At present only a limited number of shops open on a Sunday, but in this and other sectors, e.g. hospitality, staff required to work would not have the day off to vote. If Sunday trading is further de-regulated, then more shop employees would be similarly affected.
- Public transport, for example the bus service, is limited on a Sunday and this might make it more difficult for some electors to attend their polling station.
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P.40/2011 Com.(2)