6 Things you need to know about voting in the Guernsey election
The Bailiwick of Guernsey (comprised of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm), is a Crown Dependency, meaning that it is part of the British Isles, but not the United Kingdom.
Guernsey is independently governed (as are Alderney and Sark) and has an island-wide voting system to elect our 38 representatives, called People’s Deputies, every 4 years. Find out more about Guernsey’s government here - Guernsey's Government | Locate Guernsey.
With the 2025 election taking place on Wednesday 18 June, we spoke with The Election Office to ask a few questions on behalf of relocators to Guernsey.
1. How do I vote?
Islanders who wish to vote in June 2025 must be registered on the Electoral Roll by Wednesday, 30 April 2025
There is a new Electoral Roll which opened on 1 December 2024, so even if you have been registered prior to that date, and voted at previous elections, you must re-register to vote. You can register online or by using the household registration form which has been sent to every residence in Guernsey.
You will be able to vote in-person on polling day, or you can opt for a postal vote even if you are on-island.
To find out more, please visit - How to Vote - Election 2025 Guernsey
2. How do I know if I’m eligible to vote?
To be eligible to vote, you must be:
- At least 15 years of age (you won't be able to vote until you're 16);
- Ordinarily resident in Guernsey, and have been so;
- For a period of at least two years immediately preceding date of registration; or
- At any time before date of registration for a period of at least five years in total.
3. What does ‘ordinarily resident’ mean?
A person is “ordinarily resident” in Guernsey during any period if throughout that period they were living lawfully in, and had their home in, Guernsey; and for these purposes a person may be ordinarily resident in Guernsey if they have no fixed or permanent address.
4. What does island-wide voting mean?
There is one island-wide electoral district to elect all 38 Deputies. Each voter can cast up to 38 votes at the General Election from the full list of candidates. This electoral system was introduced as a result of the 2018 Referendum on Guernsey’s voting system.
5. What if I am away for the duration of the election?
If you are ordinarily resident in Guernsey but will be away for the duration of the election then you can apply for a postal vote.
Further information about postal voting can be found here: Postal Voting - Election 2025 Guernsey
6. What are the criteria to stand as a People's Deputy?
Eligibility to hold the office of People's Deputy is set out under Article 8 of The Reform (Guernsey) Law, 1948 (as amended).
To be able to stand as a candidate at the 2025 Election, you must:
- be 18 years or over;
- be registered on the Electoral Roll;
- be ordinarily resident in Guernsey on the date of nomination as a candidate;
- have been ordinarily resident in Guernsey for two years immediately before the date of nomination, or for five years in total at any time before the date of nomination;
- in the last five years have not been sentenced by a court in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man to a period of imprisonment of one year or more, being detained whilst serving said sentence or whilst unlawfully at large.
To find out more, please visit - Eligibility to Stand - Election 2025 Guernsey
If you are considering relocating to the island, the team at Locate Guernsey are on hand to provide confidential guidance throughout your relocation journey free of charge. If you would like to understand how Guernsey could work for you, please get in touch on 01481 220011 or email enquiries@locateguernsey.com.
