2020 election enters the final straight

It starts a five-day polling festival that comes to a close at 8pm on Wednesday.

Like so much else in this unique election, it will be a learning experience for all concerned.

Super polling stations, an electronic count and no hanging around until past midnight for a result on the night. Gone are many of the traditions of the parish system.

Islanders are still adjusting to meet its demands. Postal voting is a pragmatic decision when faced with more than 100 candidates and up to 38 ‘ovals’ to put next to their names.

Voters need to take their time and get this right. A mountain of spoilt papers could diminish the credibility of the result, especially if, as expected, the competition for 38th place is close and fierce.

We all have to hope too that the electronic counting machine is fully functional. A manual count of a million or so votes would be painfully slow and harsh on both the electorate, candidates and volunteers.

After a slow start, voters are at last getting some of the information upon which to base their decision. From the official booklet to some hand-delivered manifestos, numerous websites and multiple hustings there is a vast resource of information.

To that pile we add today’s Question & Answer supplement. Eleven questions ranging from education to cannabis via climate change, taxes, the economy and Covid-19.

Readers who wade through all 117 answers will spot some patterns. A general hostility to a sales tax such as GST, an open-mindedness about cannabis that would not have been seen a decade ago.

They will also see a general disappointment, verging on despair, about the last States, and its infighting and inability to stick to decisions.

The island has to hope that candidates will work to make the new Assembly better. Communicate, be willing to work with others, find common ground, avoid last-minute changes of heart, personal attacks and flip-flop government.

That, more than any one policy, will be the key to a more successful Assembly.