Deputies agree they need to do more to encourage youth engagement in politics and elections , as advised by CPA observers

guernseypress.com · Mar 1, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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TWO recommendations made in the wake of last year’s general election were approved by deputies after a report from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association observers was presented to members by the States Assembly and Constitution Committee.An event last summer where election candidates including Neil Inder (left) and Sasha Kazantseva-Miller met sixth formers was held up as a positive engagement exercise at last summer's election, though Deputy Jennifer Strachan told the States yesterday that she was struck at the young people's lack of knowledge about local politics. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 34646343) / Guernsey Press Comments President Sarah Hansmann Rouxel said the debate would provide an opportunity for States members to read the report and offer their views to the committee.The report was based on the observations of the CPA observers who were present during the election of 2025, which marked the first time that they had been able to attend an election held under the new island-wide rules.She said the report was a positive one and it made nine recommendations, some of which were the same as in 2020. But there were two which the committee wanted members to support – considering including an authority to oversee complaints and appeals in the work to set up an independent electoral body, plus the exploration of what other approaches could be taken to encourage youth engagement in politics and elections.Deputy Jayne Ozanne said she would have liked to see safeguarding issues raised, addressed in the report, where it referred to possible data protection issues presented by electors as young as 16 having their names and addresses provided to candidates. There was nothing to stop someone standing just to get the addresses of teenage girls, and this worried her.The report was a positive one which did not indicate there were any problems yet members were being asked to approve a new electoral body, but Haley Camp wondered why this was needed at a time when was other more urgent work to be done.Jennifer Strachan had said she was impressed with many of the teenagers who attended a sixth form meeting prior to the last election with candidates, but was struck how few seemed to know how government worked and what they wanted from it, so she supported any efforts to help young people understand the democratic process.After a brief debate the proposition, which included both of the recommendations, was approved by 27 votes to one from Deputy Camp, with three abstentions.