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3.12 Deputy G.P. Southern of the Comité des Connétable s regarding measures to increase postal voting and the investigation of on-line voting in the 2011 elections:
Will the Chairman outline whether any additional measures were put into place to assist the housebound or elderly to vote by post in the most recent elections for Deputies; whether any measures to increase postal voting are under consideration for the next elections and, if not, why not? Will he further undertake to engage with the Privileges and Procedures Committee to investigate using online voting in the 2011 elections?
Connétable K.P. Vibert of St. Ouen (Chairman, Comité des Connétable s):
No changes were introduced to the established practices for assisting the household or
elderly to vote by post in the last elections. As for increasing the postal voting; it
must be realised that the Connétable s neither administer nor have responsibility for any part of the process of postal voting. This is handled independently by the Judicial Greffier's office. Nevertheless, the Comité des Connétable s is due to meet with the Jurats and the Judicial Greffier to review all the procedures employed in the recent elections. Following on from this meeting it is the intention of the Connétable s to meet with the P.P.C. (Privileges and Procedures Committee) to review if any of the issues highlighted should be considered before the next elections.
- Deputy G.P. Southern
I thank the Chairman for his answer. Is the Chairman aware of the practice in some
Parishes of using sick votes as a routine instead of postal votes, certainly in the smaller Parishes, and if he is not aware of it, will he investigate it and if he is aware of it will he examine whether such a possibility is useful in the larger areas like St. Helier?
The Connétable of St. Ouen :
No, I am not aware of this being used in this way but certainly I am happy that we will look at it in the round when we look at the whole issue.
- Deputy S. Pitman:
In a previous debate the Constable of St. Mary stated that the Parish system accommodates vulnerable and elderly people; it may be true in St. Mary but it is not true in St. Helier . The people I have helped in filling postal application forms in 2005 and 2008 did not know that they could vote by post and if it was not for my intervention in telling them and assisting them in the completion of these forms they would have not voted, and I would like to add here that the 2 charges I have ...
The Deputy Bailiff :
No, Deputy , I do not think we can go on to deal with that now. Deputy S. Pitman:
May I, Sir?
The Deputy Bailiff :
No, you may not deal with the matter which is before the Court. Deputy S. Pitman:
These people were grateful for my intervention. But bearing that in mind, would the Chairman of the Constables Committee in his review include the current Parish and States systems in distributing information about how to vote to ensure that all electors are aware as to how they can vote?
The Connétable of St. Ouen :
I am not sure I understood the whole of the question but, as I have said, following our meeting with the Jurats and the Judicial Greffier's office it is our intention to talk with P.P.C. and discuss all the issues which were highlighted from the last election.