‘All we can do is be persuasive’

By Simon Tostevin

HOME minister Geoff Mahy has challenged teenagers to use their right to vote. He admitted that the fact that only 90 under-18s had registered for April’s general election was disappointing.

‘The election is an important part of Guernsey’s society and there has to be a responsible approach to it. It’s not the same as just signing up to a club.

‘While it is still a voluntary activity, there’s not a lot you can do when people decide they just don’t want to vote.

‘But the people who campaigned for lowering the voting age to 16 have gone very quiet and if they felt that strongly about it they should have followed it up.’

Deputy Mahy’s department is responsible for promoting the electoral roll, but he said there was only so much it could do to persuade people.

‘One has to be careful because we are not in Australia, where it’s a crime not to turn up to vote.

‘I think persuasion and encouragement are important, but the Education Department has personal, social and health education responsibilities in schools of which citizenship is a major part, and they will have been talking about voting and democracy.

‘The question is whether the schools are pushing their youngsters to get onto the roll and I would be surprised if they weren’t,’ said the former head teacher.

Deputy Mahy said about 1,400 people had been affected by the decision to reduce the voting age from 18 to 16.

Deputies backed it at the October States meeting by 30 votes to 15, exactly the two-thirds needed for the law to be amended in time for the next election.

Although he was disappointed by the low take-up of under-18s, he said it was pleasing to be nearing 32,000 in total.

The most recent figure was 31,495 - an increase of 1,796 on the previous general election in 2004.

‘That’s only part of the story. The main part is that they vote on the day. If they are not happy with the way that the present States has served them over the past four years, then it is a chance for them to make a choice of who they think will represent them best.’

Article posted on 21st January, 2008 - 12.00am