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Election Countdown: 1 Week To Go

The island is covered in election posters and the candidates are into the final furlong of the election race. Here's Island FM's round-up of this week's election news.

Candidates met with around 500 students at the Grammar School.  The young people were able to quiz them on the issues that matter most to them at the specially-organised hustings. 

They told us how they'll be choosing candidates:

"I'll definitely going to be voting for people who support the legalisation of cannabis. I think it will help a lot of people struggling with disabilities and I definitely think it could boost our economy."

"Education and how they view mental health and how they will look after that section of Guernsey."

"I think it's a good opportunity to speak to them and get to know what they're about." 

"You can't get much from just a manifesto, or a sheet of paper as you can from speaking to them personally and you can ask them questions about what they think."

Teacher Karl Moherndl told us: "Over half our students have the potential to vote or be on the electoral roll, so it's really important for them to have a chance like this. But also for students in the future who are potential voters in the future, it's good for them to be able to see how the process works." 

70 candidates responded to a questionnaire by the group Standing Up for Guernsey's Environment. The results have been published on the group's website and give voters a clearer idea of how candidates stand on issues such as climate change. 

What you'll see is a quick vision indicator showing the environmental-friendliness of the candidate's responses.  So for example, four green puffins means a great answer.  One green puffin means a not great answer."  - Camilla Smilie, SUGE

The Chairman of the Association of Guernsey Charities has expressed his frustration at the lack of recognition in candidate manifestos for the work of the third sector.

Malcolm Woodhams has written to all those standing to ask them to take into account the valuable work done by charities in the community.

He says they frequently provide indispensable services and facilities:

"It's at the very heart of our community.

When you think of Revive and Thrive and mantras such as Guernsey Together, there's no better example of that than the work that's undertaken by generous people who give so many hours of their time every week to others around our island and doing so much hard work. So I expect candidates to start talking about the Third Sector."

More than 21,000 people have registered for postal voting for the General Election.

The figure dwarfs the almost 2,000 who registered to cast their vote by post in the 2016 election.

Postal voting packs were sent out this week and have already been sent to UK and overseas addresses. 

Liz Dene from the elections2020 support team says: "If they haven't received it yet, contact the election office here at Frossard House and we'll sort out a duplicate."

For voters who've opted to cast their votes in person, she adds: "If you live in the Vale you can go to the Vale Douzaine Room and the Performing Arts Centre and likewise if you live in the Forest you can go to the Forest Douzaine Room and the Performing Arts Centre but if you live in the Forest and you work in Town, you can't pop into the Constables Office in your lunchbreak."

Liz says: "If voters have any doubts, if they go to the election2020 website, everything they need to know is there, including some handy guides on how to vote and where to vote." 

Some important myth busting for voters! Remember you don’t have to use all 38 votes, you can vote for one, two a...

Posted by The States of Guernsey on Thursday, October 1, 2020

Polling stations open on Saturday 3rd October.   Voters have until 8pm on Wednesday 7th October to cast their vote for up to 38 deputies who will make up the next States of Guernsey.

For more details on how and where to vote, and to see links to candidates manifestos go to islandfm.com/election

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