Option C could work if ballot paper was well thought out

There are three main choices: i.e. A) island-wide voting; B) the status quo; C) a mixture of the two.

A. Thirty-eight island wide deputies elected every four years. This could have been satisfactory, but having the choice of placing 38 crosses (but maybe less) on a sheet with possibly nearly 100 applicants will lead to a lot of dithering, with people waiting in the queue outside fuming. It has been put to me that, with some home preparation, the time could be much reduced, but I am not convinced. I can imagine a person (possibly me) carefully placing the Xs, then realising that 39 have been placed. It was put to me that one vote for each place was the recommendation by the electoral commission, but I have looked at their website, and can find no such statement. Additionally, their recommendations are just that, recommendations, and not law (the UK chooses to ignore much of what they say). I feel that no more than about 10 would be ideal.

B. The system which exists now, which has caused upset in the island.

C. Ten island-wide deputies and 28 local district ones. This would be my preferred choice; however, the election having to take place on two dates will put some people off and add to the cost. This is unnecessary as the vote could take place on one day. I have prepared a form which could be used which I have attached. This would have two sections; the left one with the parish candidates as now; and the right one with boxes in which to place numbers of your island-wide choices. The parish votes would be added to the island-wide ones for the island-wide count. Some candidates would be winners twice, so could be ignored island wide until the 38 was achieved. With little effort an improved form could be constructed.

Having only 10 island-wide places is also a put off, and having two (or three) deputies in each district would leave 24 (or 17) island-wide choices to be made. Having only 10 IW deputies would put us very close to the old conseiller system, with those deputies thinking they are an elite. While it must be personally satisfying to top the poll, a person who scrapes in by one or two votes has just as much right to an opinion. I would therefore like to have the voting completed in one day, and if not, then the order reversed, with the parish votes carried out first and the island wide second.

D. One-third of the deputies being elected island wide every two years removes my objection to having to place 38 Xs, but would add to the cost.

Even by our States’ dithering standards the present choice is laid out for a vote on 10 October and cannot be changed, but the winning choice can be improved at a later date. It is therefore important to vote on your choice and not moan afterwards.

DAVID WYLIE,

La Chanterelle,

Ruette des Fries,

Castel, GY5 7PW.