Electoral Systems In Semi-Party Systems

This article considers the recent changes in the electoral systems for Jersey and Guernsey, which are the product of over two decades of constitutional debate. It will do so in the context of an increased experimentation with party politics. It will be argued that the two systems are not compatible with full-party politics, although they are compatible with the level currently practised. In any case, with the exception of one party in Jersey, the experiment does not appear to be greatly prospering. Of particular issue is an analysis of voter choice in Guernsey, which was predicted by the Electoral Reform Society as having the “strangest” system in the world—having a 38-member single constituency, with voters casting up to 38 votes. It will be argued that the result has defied predictions that it would be a lottery.