From Hustings to Ballot Box: A Week of Civic Engagement

On Monday, a mock election live hustings took place, with our three candidates facing questions from Years 7, 8 and 9 students. Questions ranged from concern about the cost of pledges being promised to the fate of Fort Regent and the island ferry service. It was brilliant to hear such political engagement with the process of the mock election and served as a great opportunity to remind students to encourage family and friends to vote on Sunday. Our mock election takes place on Friday 5 June and our candidates have been out and about in school, canvassing for votes. 

On Tuesday, we welcomed the States Greffe pop-up stall, which set up in the Library over lunchtime. They spoke to a number of students from across the year groups about why voting matters and highlighted the importance of being engaged in politics. 

On Wednesday, our weekly Year 12 enrichment slot gave our very engaged Year 12 students the opportunity to scrutinise the manifestos of live candidates and assess their potential as electoral candidates with the support of the States Greffe. Students were encouraged to consider their values and what matters to them when thinking about who to vote for. 

The States Greffe team also visited our Staff Common Room, with the opportunity for staff to ask questions and learn more about voting. 

All in all, this is a full and busy week, but one we hope will have a meaningful impact on voter turnout in the long term. In Jersey, it is incredibly low with only 17% of under 35s voting in 2022, and the lowest overall of OECD countries. The headline figure for voter turnout was 41.6% in 2022, but when we consider that only 75% of those who were eligible to vote registered, we can see the actual figure was 31%. With the amazing work of the States Greffe this year, alongside what we are delivering in school, we hope to give meaning to Jersey politics and support our young men in recognising the importance of voting.