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What can be done to make more people go out and vote?

That's one of the many questions being asked after the low turnout in yesterday's St Helier Constable's election.

Another is - does Jersey really want party politics? The Jersey Democratic Alliance candidate was trounced in the election.

And should all the constables be elected on the same day? Maybe even at the same time as other States members.

UserName

Topless dancing at the polling station would probably do it, and I could joke about putting a X in a box, but it's best not to.

I guess people just knew it was going to be a landslide victory. I don't know if people want party politics, you can't really tell because we don't know what the response would be to a decent well run party

No, leave the constables elections alone, it's fine as it is. All at once would dilute the fun.

ascottboy

I hope to hell that people remember what has gone on when it comes to the proper elections otherwise we are all in the sh*t!!

Haggis

Yep, i've just filed away my grievances with the so called "top" politicians and will be casting my vote when the time comes!

clairejohnson

Something worth voting for would help a lot.

AHITS

I don't think it's fair to immediately assume that the JDA was trounced because locals don't want party politics. It's far more likely that Alvin Aaron took a whipping because he was the new kid on the block, whilst Crowcroft is now a seasoned veteran.

If the time was taken to explain to people the direct benefits of party politics, you'd probably find a large percentage of islanders in favour of the party concept rather than our current rather undemocratic system.

Some senior politicians seem to hold the attitude that the public's job is simply to vote them into power, and that's where the public's say begins and ends. And they can ONLY think that way because our current non-party system permits them to do so without fear of accountabilty.

With our current political system you can be a useless politician, but you can still be guaranteed a political seat near enough for life.

When senior politicians like Terry Le Sueur start openly making comments which suggest they hold anyone beneath their elevated pay-scale in some form of contempt, that needs to change. And the required change can only come through a change to party politics - because quite simply it's a more efficient way of reminding politicans that they were elected to serve the public.

What would it take to get me to vote? An election where any one of the 28 members responsible for voting for GST was standing for re-election.