Could harnessing the youth vote change the election?

Channel 103 has spoken to young voters at Jersey's first Candidate Fayre.

Vote.je campaigns are targeting young islanders this year  - to boost turnout in the 16-plus age group.

Its aim is to get everyone to 'Be a voter', including students, with the first fayre of its kind (29 April) having specific sessions for schools. 

All 92 candidates standing for one of the 49 available seats in the States Assembly were invited to be at Oakfield Sports Centre to canvass support and answer questions from the public. 

Heidi Whitehead, part of the Vote.je Campaign team, told us how the approach to the reaching different sections of the electorate is changing:

"I think hustings are possibly a bit old-fashioned for students, in that they sit in an audience and have the politicians on the stage.

"Whereas, if they can wander around more flexibly and informally, I think they will see that they are engaging with people who have ideas about the future of Jersey.

"The Vote.je campaign team has managed to get into pretty much every school.

"We've given a vote lesson, with mock manifestos and a fake ballot, so they've been through the whole process, which will give them a much greater understanding."

Student, Sam, said some candidates are gearing their manifesto towards young islanders, whereas some aren't:

"There are some people who, whilst I've been here, have spent the whole time speaking about Social Security, which is not going to affect me for the next four years. 

"Just because they've let us vote doesn't mean we're being valued in the same way, because we're less likely to vote than, let's say, a 60-year-old."

He said politicians need to make a Jersey a place young people want to stay:

"I want to live here in the future, but it's not viable for me with the cost of living.

"It's good to be here because they can't write everything in a manifesto; being here and being able to ask them means I can ask them about their individual moral judgment. 

"You can't plan for everything in a manifesto; some things are going to happen, and they are going to have to use their own moral judgement over it."

Oscar, who's in Year 13, says he hopes prospective politicians campaigning to try to gain the youth vote means the Youth Assembly will be given more of a voice:

"It's a really great initiative, and they get lots of young people who might not feel heard, and they get their voice out and speak in the Chamber. 

"It's a really nice way of getting their opinions across, and hopefully be listened to."

You can follow our election coverage at Jersey Election 2026 - Channel 103