Organising the island-wide vote cost taxpayers a total of £1.15m., according to figures released by the States in response to Guernsey Press enquiries.
That was an increase of more than a £250,000 on the first island-wide general election in 2020, and was also a small real-terms increase after accounting for inflation, but was within the budget agreed in advance.
‘Costs were managed within an overall budget and were all broadly aligned to expectations with the exception of staffing where some savings were made as it was possible to deliver the election without some of the additional resources originally envisaged,’ said a States spokesman yesterday.
Costs incurred by the States for the 2025 general election included £500,000 on staff, £200,000 on vote-counting machines and support for them, £200,000 on advertising and events, and £100,000 on each of the booklet of candidates’ manifestos and postage.
The 2020 general election cost the States £877,000. The spokesman said the States did not know the total cost of the 2016 general election, the last to be run in electoral districts rather than island wide.
But grants claimed by candidates to help defray their campaign costs in 2016, one of the few elements of that election funded by taxpayers, totalled £47,000. They have since been scrapped.
The States Assembly & Constitution Committee announced late last week that it had worked up revised plans for a forthcoming by-election to fill the vacant deputy’s seat which should reduce the cost of organising it from an estimated £200,000 to £75,000.
The committee said yesterday that it would be sharpening its pencil generally when dealing with election issues in this political term, although it shared cost responsibilities with others.
‘The committee has a keen interest in the cost of elections and will be considering how to ensure they are provided in a cost-effective way as part of its ongoing workstreams in relation to electoral matters,’ said Sacc president Sarah Hansmann Rouxel.
‘While the committee has responsibility for ensuring that the requisite legislation is in place in advance of each general election, it has no budgetary responsibility or oversight, as the delivery of island-wide elections sits with various areas of the States.’
Sacc started carrying out research into the 2025 general election soon after it was elected in July, including asking voters their sources of information about candidates ahead of going to the polls in June.
The committee provided information about its research yesterday which the Guernsey Press requested for its own review of coverage over the past year.
‘The Guernsey Press in print and online was the second most used source of information of candidates behind the manifesto booklet. 58% of respondents put it as their source of information,’ said Deputy Hansmann Rouxel.
‘Additionally, the Guernsey Press Politics Podcast interviews were cited in free form comments specifically mentioning how helpful they were in dealing with the volume of candidates.’