Jump to content

2026 Jersey general election

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2026 Jersey general election
← 2022
7 June 2026 (2026-06-07)
2030 →
All 49 seats in the States Assembly
25 seats needed for a majority
Turnout32.4%
  First party Second party Third party
 
IND
PF
Leader Sam Mézec — Nick Le Cornu
Party Reform Jersey Independents[a] People First
Leader's seat Senator (defeated) — St Helier South (defeated)
Last election 10 31 New
Seats won
Seat change Decrease 3 Increase 11 Steady
A map presenting the results of the election, with each dot representing one seat in the States Assembly. Colours indicate formal party status.
Chief Minister before election

Lyndon Farnham
Independent

 Chief Minister after election

Lyndon Farnham (designate)
Independent

The 2026 Jersey general election was held on 7 June 2026 to elect nine senators, 28 deputies and 12 connétables to the States Assembly.[1]

A total of 92 candidates stood for election, including 17 candidates for the nine senatorial seats.[2] Six of the 12 connétable seats were uncontested.

Following the election, incumbent Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham was the only States member-elect nominated for the office, meaning that he was selected as Chief Minister-designate when the new States Assembly met on 19 June 2026.[3]

Timeline

[edit source]
Key dates
Date Event(s)
Tuesday 1 April 2025 The States Assembly approved a proposition from the Privileges and Procedures Committee setting Sunday 7 June 2026 as the date for the next election.
Monday 20 April 2026 Opening of nominations of candidates. Beginning of election period (purdah).
Wednesday 22 April 2026 Closure of nomination period for candidates.
Monday 27 April 2026 Full list of candidates published.
Saturday 9 May 2026 Final meeting of the 2022–2026 Assembly to ceremonially mark Liberation Day.
Sunday 7 June 2026 Polling day — polls opened from 8am to 8pm.
Wednesday 10 June 2026 A recount is held in the St Helier Central Deputy contest after 21 votes separated Reform Jersey candidate Lee Carpenter and independent candidate Robin Ward. The result was confirmed[4]
Thursday 11 June 2026 Incumbent Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham announced as the only States Member nominated to stand for Chief Minister for the new term.[5]
Friday 19 June 2026 The new States Assembly meets to formally elect Farnham as Chief Minister.

Electoral system

[edit source]

The 2026 election was held after the reintroduction of nine island-wide senators, a role that had been abolished before the 2022 general election. The number of deputies was reduced from 37 to 28, with one seat removed from each of the nine deputy constituencies. The election of one connétable from each of the twelve parishes was maintained.[6]

The election was also the first Jersey general election in modern times to be held on a Sunday rather than a Wednesday, following a decision by the States Assembly.[7]

Prior to polling day, automatic voter registration was introduced to Jersey's system of voting for the first time. Eligible islanders would now be included on the electoral register without needing to manually sign up.[8]

Campaign conduct

[edit source]

The Jersey Electoral Authority intervened several times during the campaign. In May 2026, after a complaint that an incumbent Connétable had used an official mailing list and website to promote his candidacy, the Authority reminded elected members that parish resources should not be used for electoral purposes.[9] It also issued a statement correcting suggestions that it had approved material published by Value Jersey.[10] In June 2026, the Authority criticised election-related misinformation on social media, describing it as a 'poison' that harmed the democratic process.[11] One States Member criticised the Authority, saying that the required compliance forms had not been ready in time.[12]

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association sent a delegation of Commonwealth parliamentarians to observe the election process.[13] After the election the International Election Observation Mission and the Jersey Electoral Authority both raised concerns about whether election law provided a level playing field between registered political parties and non-party campaign groups.[14]

Turnout

[edit source]

Turnout in 2026 was reported at 32.4%, down from 41.6% at the previous election in 2022. However, the number of people who cast a vote increased from 25,264 in 2022 to 27,691 in 2026. The lower turnout percentage was attributed largely to the introduction of automatic voter registration, which increased the number of people on the electoral roll from 60,701 to 85,470.[15]

Voter turnout in Jersey has historically been low by international standards. Statistics Jersey’s 2025 Better Life Index ranked Jersey last for civic engagement among all OECD member and partner countries following the 2022 election[16]

Political parties and groups

[edit source]

Two registered political parties participated in the election: Reform Jersey and People First. In addition, Value Jersey, a political movement rather than a registered party, promoted a policy platform that was endorsed by some independent candidates.

Reform Jersey

[edit source]

Reform Jersey fielded 16 candidates in the 2026 election, including nine sitting members seeking re-election.[17] Seven Reform Jersey candidates were elected. Party leader Sam Mézec, who stood for one of the nine Senatorial seats, was not elected.

Their manifesto was entitled Turning the Tide.[18] It included costed key pledges on housing support for young Jersey people returning from university in the UK, developing new family-sized homes and affordable housing, reducing the use of overseas consultants, improving bus and cycle infrastructure, renovating Fort Regent, introducing tax allowances for pensioners, reducing Jersey's Marginal Rate on tax and removing the upper earnings cap on Social Security contributions.[19][20]

People First Party

[edit source]

A new left-wing political party called People First Party fielded two candidates, neither of whom were elected.[21]

Value Jersey

[edit source]

Nine independent candidates publicly associated themselves with the political movement Value Jersey, six of whom were elected.[22] Its 'blueprint' argued that Jersey’s affordability and prosperity problems stem from a stalled economy, weakened productivity and rising costs for households, businesses and government. It called for disciplined government, stronger growth and greater competition as practical steps to reduce costs, restore confidence and avoid creating larger problems for the future.[23]

Ahead of the 2026 vote, the States Assembly introduced a voluntary code of practice, requiring candidates to declare if they are a member of a non-party political group. Due to its status as a self-declared political movement, Value Jersey asserted these regulations would not apply, including requirements to declare where funding comes from.[24] Some politicians in Jersey have called for Value Jersey to be more transparent with its funding and exactly which candidates are aligned with its movement. In response to scrutiny, Value Jersey clarified that the movement had received 58 donations from anonymous supporters, including a donation of £10,000 and a donation from an anonymous UK-based individual with business interests in Jersey.[25]

Results

[edit source]

Overview

[edit source]

Independent candidates won 42 of the 49 seats. Six of those independents were publicly associated with support of Value Jersey, while Reform Jersey won seven seats, down from ten at the 2022 Jersey general election.[26]

ITV News described the 2026 election as a vote for stability, contrasting it with the 2022 election, which it characterised as being defined by a desire for change. It noted that five of the nine elected Senators were serving members of the Council of Ministers, including Ian Gorst, Lyndon Farnham and Elaine Millar, who finished second, third and fourth respectively in the Senatorial contest. But eight sitting States Members failed to be re-elected, including three ministers.[27] Reform Jersey leader Sam Mézec was among those defeated, finishing tenth in the island-wide election for Senator, in which the top nine candidates were elected.[28]

Local media noted the increased representation of women in the States Assembly. Bailiwick Express reported that women had won 22 of the 49 seats, representing approximately 45% of elected members,[29] while the Jersey Evening Post headlined its front page coverage: ‘It shows how far Jersey has come’.[30]

BBC News highlighted that Gabriel Raimondo, elected days after his 18th birthday, was the youngest ever States Member.[31]

By constituency

[edit source]

By formal party status and political affiliation

[edit source]
Political affiliations among the 49 elected members. The six purple dots identify members associated with Value Jersey, but those members were formally elected as independents and form part of the total of 42 independents.
Formal party status Seats
Of total
Reform Jersey 7 14.3%
7 / 49
Independents[b] 42 85.7%
42 / 49
People First 0 0.0%
0 / 49

Six of the 42 elected independents were associated with or endorsed by Value Jersey. This was an overlapping political affiliation rather than a separate formal party classification.

List of elected members

[edit source]

Senators

[edit source]
Name Party/affiliation Votes
Helen Miles Independent 15,859
Ian Gorst Independent 15,667
Lyndon Farnham Independent 14,217
Elaine Millar Independent 14,208
Serena Guthrie Independent[c] 12,588
Tom Binet Independent 12,584
Alan Maclean Independent 12,506
Mark Boleat Independent 11,948
Mary Le Hegarat Independent 11,571
Source:[32]

Connétables

[edit source]
Parish Name Party/affiliation Majority
Grouville Mark Labey Independent 932
St Brelade Steve Pallett Independent 754
St Clement Marcus Troy Independent 1,588
St Helier Inna Gardiner Independent 780
St John Andy Jehan Independent 1,015
St Lawrence Tina Palmer Independent 543
St Martin Karen Shenton Stone Independent 1,021
St Mary David Johnson Independent 195
St Ouen Richard Honeycombe Independent 698
St Peter Richard Vibert Independent 1,064
St Saviour Dave Curtis Independent 264
Trinity Andy Howell Independent 511
Source:[33]

Deputies

[edit source]
Constituency Name Party/affiliation Majority
St Helier South Samantha Gleave Independent[d]| style="text-align:right;" | 247
Tom Coles Reform Jersey 85
Beatriz Porée Reform Jersey 27
St Helier Central Carina Alves Reform Jersey 294
Lyndsay Feltham Reform Jersey 170
Catherine Curtis Reform Jersey 38
Lee Carpenter[e] Reform Jersey 22
St Helier North Gerald Voisin Independent[f] 626
Max Andrews Independent 277
Victoria Li Independent 112
St Saviour Malcolm Ferey Independent 759
Louise Doublet Independent 547
Chris Leck Independent 225
Robert Parker Independent[g] 120
St Clement Alex Curtis Independent 293
Barbara Ward Independent 117
Karen Wilson Independent 114
St Brelade Jonathan Renouf Independent 1,262
Montfort Tadier Reform Jersey 970
Gabriel Raimondo Independent[h] 451
St Mary, St Ouen,
and St Peter		 Lucy Stephenson Independent 1,151
Christopher Rebindaine Independent 1,038
Arlene Maltman Independent 879
St John, St Lawrence,
and Trinity		 Hilary Jeune Independent 1,569
Phil Romeril Independent[i] 1,330
Kirsten Morel Independent 801
Grouville and St Martin Carolyn Labey Independent 1,076
Rose Binet Independent 543
Source:[34]

Government formation

[edit source]

Chief Minister

[edit source]

On 11 June 2026, the States Assembly announced that incumbent Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham was the only Member nominated to stand for the role, having received eight nominations from fellow States Members-elect. As only one Member had put their name forward, no vote was required under the Standing Orders of the States Assembly.[35]

Farnham made a statement and answered questions at the States meeting on 19 June, after which he was selected as Chief Minister designate. Other ministers, including Chief Minister are scheduled to formally take up their positions on 29 June 2026.[3]

See also

[edit source]

Notes

[edit source]
  1. ↑ Six elected independent candidates were publicly associated with Value Jersey, a political movement which is not registered as a political party.
  2. ↑ Six independent members were associated with or endorsed by Value Jersey.
  3. ↑ Associated with or endorsed by Value Jersey.
  4. ↑ Associated with or endorsed by Value Jersey.
  5. ↑ A recount was held in St Helier Central after Carpenter finished 21 votes ahead of Robin Ward, the highest-placed unelected candidate. The result did not change.
  6. ↑ Associated with or endorsed by Value Jersey.
  7. ↑ Associated with or endorsed by Value Jersey.
  8. ↑ Associated with or endorsed by Value Jersey.
  9. ↑ Associated with or endorsed by Value Jersey.

References

[edit source]
  1. ↑ "Jersey's next general election will be held on a Sunday". Channel 103. 2 April 2025. Archived from the original on 2 April 2025. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  2. ↑ "92 candidates stand for election on 7 June 2026 | Vote.je". Vote.je. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 "One States Member to stand for Chief Minister". States Assembly. 11 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "Election officials announce full recount for St Helier Central Deputy after close vote". ITV News. 9 June 2026. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "One States Member to stand for Chief Minister". States Assembly. 11 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "States Assembly - P.17/2025". States Assembly. Archived from the original on 22 March 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  7. ↑ Team, Bailiwick Express News (5 June 2026). "Nearly 3,000 early birds flock to ballot box". Bailiwick Express News Jersey. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Automatic voting registration launched in Jersey". BBC News. 25 March 2026. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  9. ↑ Channel TV (6 May 2026). "Kevin Lewis warned by Jersey Electoral Authority after using parish mailing list to campaign". ITV News. Retrieved 9 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ↑ Jersey Electoral Authority (29 May 2026). "Jersey Electoral Authority Statement". Vote.je. Retrieved 9 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ↑ Weldon, Cameron (5 June 2026). "Warnings over sharing false election information". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ↑ Potigny, Fiona (26 May 2026). "Political movement or party in disguise". Jersey Evening Post. p. 13. Retrieved 9 June 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ↑ BBC (1 June 2026). "Independent election observers arrive in Jersey". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ↑ BBC (11 June 2026). "Observers may suggest political group law changes". BBC News. Retrieved 11 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ↑ "More voters in 2026 Election | Vote.je". Vote.je. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  16. ↑ "Jersey Better Life Index 2025 published". Statistics Jersey. 25 March 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "The full list of candidates standing as Senators, Constables and Deputies in Jersey's 2026 Election". ITV News. 5 June 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  18. ↑ Reform Jersey (2026). "Turning the Tide: Managed decline or Island renewal? A choice for our future". Reform Jersey. Retrieved 8 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ↑ "Reform Jersey — Social Democratic Party of Jersey". Reform Jersey. Archived from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  20. ↑ Reform Jersey. "Turning The Tide - 2026 manifesto" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2026.
  21. ↑ Innes, Tom (27 April 2026). "REVEALED: 'Runners and riders' confirmed for 2026 election". Bailiwick Express News Jersey. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  22. ↑ "Reform Jersey suffer as Value Jersey surge: How have political groups performed in this election?". ITV News. 9 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  23. ↑ Value Jersey (May 2026). "The Purple Book: How To Make Jersey Actually Affordable". Value Jersey. Retrieved 8 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ↑ "Value Jersey says new rules for political group registration doesn't apply to them". ITV News. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  25. ↑ Innes, Tom (26 May 2026). "Value Jersey hits out at "malice and threats" amid mounting scrutiny". Bailiwick Express News Jersey. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  26. ↑ "Live 2026 Election updates | Vote.je". Vote.je. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  27. ↑ "Election winners and losers: The next States Assembly". Channel 103. Retrieved 9 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ↑ "Jersey Election 2026 blog: As it happened after Reform leader loses seat and Helen Miles tops poll". ITV News. 8 June 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  29. ↑ Davies, Megan (8 June 2026). "IN NUMBERS: How is the new States Assembly shaping up?". Bailiwick Express (Jersey edition). Retrieved 9 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ↑ "'It shows how far Jersey has come': highest number of women ever elected to the States". Jersey Evening Post. 10 June 2026. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 11 June 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ↑ "Jersey's youngest ever politician elected at 18". BBC News. 9 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ↑ "Live 2026 election updates". Vote.je. Jersey Electoral Authority. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  33. ↑ "Live 2026 election updates". Vote.je. Jersey Electoral Authority. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  34. ↑ "Live 2026 election updates". Vote.je. Jersey Electoral Authority. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  35. ↑ "Lyndon Farnham only candidate running for Jersey chief minister". BBC News. 11 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2026_Jersey_general_election&oldid=1367528001"