IT IS safe to say that, as far as election gambits are concerned, no candidate for deputy has ever before invited the electorate to deface their vehicle.Offering his surf bus as a mobile notebook for the island’s students to jot down their ideas might seem daft to some and original to others.

Regardless, at least Lee Van Katwyk is doing something interesting. And gaining people’s interest is a huge battle if this April’s general deputies election is to be judged a success.

The first hurdle to overcome is big enough.

Islanders old enough to vote must sign up afresh to the new electronic electoral roll. That means everyone, not just those who will go to every hustings meeting. And there is certain to be a rump of islanders who will be nigh on impossible to get interested for long enough to spend five minutes logging on.

Huge efforts are being made to overcome that reticence but no one should underestimate how great an achievement it will be to restore the electoral roll to anywhere near previous levels.

But even once that mission is achieved there is no guarantee of success.

Islanders who sign up for the roll – from the comfort of their own computers – must then be persuaded to get out and vote.

And that will depend primarily on the quality of the candidates.

Disgruntled voters simply will not turn out if they fear nothing but a rearranging of the deck chairs. Fresh blood is urgently required to inspire a new generation of voters and reinvigorate the more jaded islander who believes he or she has seen it all before.

To that end there is room for optimism. There is a growing sense that in these difficult times people of genuine quality are feeling they have a duty to their island to put something back. No, it will not be easy – politics never is. But if enough bright young candidates, business people and solid, experienced islanders with the good of Guernsey in their hearts can be persuaded to stand then people will come out to vote.

Perhaps that’s one idea for the side of the surf bus.