Voting in town by-election tomorrow

Tuesday 04 March 2014

Town voters go to the polls tomorrow to choose two new Deputies to fill out the last months of the terms of Shona and Trevor Pitman, who were expelled from the States for being declared bankrupt.

Anyone who is 16 or over in St Helier No 1 and No 2 districts is eligible to be registered to vote in the election and the winning candidates will serve until the main elections in October. The winning candidates will put themselves in pole position to win a full-term in October, and a States seat worth £46,000 per year.

In St Helier No 1 district (which covers the east of town and Havre des Pas), the following were nominated: former Emeraude managing director Gordon Forrest; former Deputy Paul Le Claire; lawyer and campaigner Nick Le Cornu; IT specialist Maureen Morgan; and Fort Regent campaigner Roy Travert.

In St Helier No 2 district (which covers most of the middle of town), the following were nominated: Centenier Paul Huelin, DJ Bernie Manning; reform campaigner Sam Mezec and Ian Philpott.

Pre-poll voting ran all the way through last week, but the main polls open at 8 am tomorrow morning, closing at 8 pm. Voters in St Helier No 1 district should cast their votes in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall, and voters in St Helier No 2 district should cast their votes in the Blue Room at Springfield Stadium.

By-elections tend to be tight races. Turnout rates in town are low, and by-elections tend not to encourage many voters out to the ballot boxes. The votes are likely to have been counted by around 10 pm.