Sark turns out in numbers for its election
OVER two-thirds of Sark’s electoral roll turned out yesterday to vote on the island's first contested election since 2012.
15 people competed for nine seats in the Chief Pleas, Sark’s parliament, and 260 papers were issued out of an electoral roll of 363, meaning about 72% of the island’s possible voters visited the polling station.
Sark’s returning officer, Arthur Rolfe, said the election was a good thing.
‘I think people are generally quite pleased with the fact we have had a contested election and it is good for the island,’ he said.
‘The 72% turnout was very reasonable by Sark averages, but it is way ahead of most other jurisdictions. I don’t think Guernsey or Alderney come anywhere near that.’
The island was put on notice by Lord Keen last month that it needed to demonstrate good government or risk intervention from the UK.
The results were:
Helen Plummer 205
Philip Long 192.
John Guille 191,
Christopher Drillot 165
William Raymond 152,
Amanda de Carteret 143,
Ellen Lalor 138,
Rodney Lalor 123,
Simon Couldridge 121,
Edric Baker 110,
Diane Baker 108,
Fern Turner 100
Natalie Craik 90,
Michael Doyle 75,
Frank Makepeace 38,
After the election, Mr Rolfe said: ‘I take the opinion that we are an independent jurisdiction and we will continue to be such. Sark to me is capable of governing itself, and it has just proved itself more so tonight.’
