FAQs

The next Alderney Elections will take place:

Eligibility to hold the office of States Member is set out under Section 33(2) of the Government of Alderney Law, 2004.

To be able to stand as a candidate at the 2024 Election, you must:

• • be 21 years or over;
  • be registered on the Electoral Roll;
  • be ordinarily resident in Alderney throughout the 36 months immediately preceding the date appointed for the election;
  • not be a Jurat;
  • be nominated and has signified consent to nomination
  • when taking the oath not be President
  • be neither under legal disability nor insolvent

Eligibility to hold the office of President is set out under Section 33(2) of the Government of Alderney Law, 2004.

To be able to stand as a candidate at the 2024 Election, you must:

• • be 21 years or over;
  • be registered on the Electoral Roll;
  • be ordinarily resident in Alderney throughout the 36 months immediately preceding the date appointed for the election;
  • not be a Jurat;
  • be nominated and has signified consent to nomination;
  • when taking the oath not be a States Member;
  • be neither under legal disability nor insolvent.

Yes. To be able to stand as a candidate at the 2024 Elections as States Member or President, you must be registered on the Electoral Roll.

Yes. You can register on the Electoral Roll until 15th October 2024.

A person is “ordinarily resident” in Alderney during any period if throughout that period they were living lawfully in, and had their home in, Alderney; and for these purposes a person may be ordinarily resident in Alderney if they have no fixed or permanent address.

Yes, but if you are successful in the 2024 Election, before taking the oath of office, which every Member of the States of Alderney must do, you must also cease to be a States’ employee or public officer. A person who, when elected as a Member or as the President of the States, is a States employee shall not come into office while he continues to be a States employee. "States employee" means a person employed by the States or by the States of Guernsey in such circumstances that the States or the States of Guernsey have a right to require that he devote the whole of his services to such employment during all the hours of work normally applicable thereto.

The workload of a States Member will vary depending on the number of Committee a States Member is appointed to, but for many States Members, the role involves a very significant time commitment. In addition to Committee meetings and States Meetings, States Members will be expected to regularly attend briefings and events on a wide range of topics. There is also a significant amount of reading and research involved. States Members will also be expected to commit time to media engagements and to engaging directly with the public.

Members may have other jobs and business interests alongside their role in the States, but it is important to be aware that it could be very challenging to meet the expectations of a traditional full-time ‘9 to 5’ job while also meeting the commitments of a States Members.

Alderney States Members are expected to uphold high standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct while serving in their role, prioritising the public's welfare and interests.

States Members must also adhere to a Code of Conduct

Any breach of the Code of Conduct can lead to investigation and subsequent hearings undertaken by the Code of Conduct Review Panel.

States Members are encouraged to engage with and be accessible to the public through various means including; meetings, consultations, and public forums, but specific requirements may vary.

An amendment to any proposition put to the States. Any States Member can propose to change or add new proposals to a Policy Letter that is being debated, and this is done by way of laying an amendment with the President and the Greffier four days prior to the meeting. Two States' Members must both agree to lay an amendment, one as the ‘proposer’ and the other as the ‘seconder’.

This is the means of giving notice to States Members that a meeting of the States of Alderney is taking place. It contains all the Policy Letters and Propositions designed to enable the States to make Resolutions.

A debate is held when the States need to decide on a matter. Usually, some members will want one thing and another group will want another. At the end of a debate, members usually vote on what to do.

The official report of what is said in every States’ Meeting.

Legislation is another word for laws. Some, but not all, States decisions result in a change in law or the introduction of a new law. Often the States will first make a decision on a policy, which will result in Law Officers drafting new legislation, which will then return to the States' Assembly Meeting again for further approval. 

This is a special kind of law. The States of Alderney comes up with the idea for the law, but this time, the Privy Council does not need to approve it. However, these kinds of laws cannot bring in new taxes or change laws which are already in place.

While most proposals are put to the States of Alderney for debate through the States’ Committees, it is possible for any group of at least four States Members to put proposals forward. They can do this by preparing a requête (a kind of report that is very similar to a Private Member's Bill in the UK, simply defined as a written request" in the Government of Alderney Law, 2004).

The Returning Officer (the island's Chief Clerk) ensures that the election is administered effectively. They are responsible for:

The formal decisions made by the States.

This is the name of Alderney’s Parliament. It is made up of the President and ten States Members.

The plebiscite is a biannual vote taken by the Electorate which provides a preference as to which two Members of the States it feels should represent Alderney in Guernsey's States of Deliberation. An additional element of this process is that; the appointments are then confirmed annually, each January, by the States of Alderney to confirm the positions. The States of Alderney also elects two other Members as Alternative Representatives. 

The President of the States of Alderney is a non-political role. Their main duty is to chair the States Assembly Meetings and to represent Alderney on and off Island in non-political matters.

A question that a Committee puts to the States within a Policy Letter.