The 2026 Jersey general election was held on 7 June 2026 to elect nine senators, 28 deputies and 12 connétables to the States Assembly.
A total of 92 candidates stood for election, including 17 candidates for the nine senatorial seats. Six of the 12 connétable seats were uncontested.
Following the election, incumbent Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham was the only States member-elect nominated for the office, meaning that he was selected as Chief Minister-designate when the new States Assembly met on 19 June 2026.
Timeline +Key datesDateEvent(s)Tuesday 1 April 2025The States Assembly approved a proposition from the Privileges and Procedures Committee setting Sunday 7 June 2026 as the date for the next election. Monday 20 April 2026Opening of nominations of candidates. Beginning of election period (purdah).Wednesday 22 April 2026Closure of nomination period for candidates.Monday 27 April 2026Full list of candidates published.Saturday 9 May 2026Final meeting of the 2022–2026 Assembly to ceremonially mark Liberation Day.Sunday 7 June 2026Polling day — polls opened from 8am to 8pm.Wednesday 10 June 2026A recount is held in the St Helier Central Deputy contest after 21 votes separated Reform Jersey candidate Lee Carpenter and independent candidate Robin Ward. The result was confirmedThursday 11 June 2026Incumbent Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham announced as the only States Member nominated to stand for Chief Minister for the new term.Friday 19 June 2026The new States Assembly meets to formally elect Farnham as Chief Minister.
Electoral system
The 2026 election was held after the reintroduction of nine island-wide senators, a role that had been abolished before the 2022 general election. The number of deputies was reduced from 37 to 28, with one seat removed from each of the nine deputy constituencies. The election of one connétable from each of the twelve parishes was maintained.
The election was also the first Jersey general election in modern times to be held on a Sunday rather than a Wednesday, following a decision by the States Assembly.
Prior to polling day, automatic voter registration was introduced to Jersey's system of voting for the first time. Eligible islanders would now be included on the electoral register without needing to manually sign up.
Campaign conduct The Jersey Electoral Authority intervened several times during the campaign. In May 2026, after a complaint that an incumbent Connétable had used an official mailing list and website to promote his candidacy, the Authority reminded elected members that parish resources should not be used for electoral purposes. It also issued a statement correcting suggestions that it had approved material published by Value Jersey. In June 2026, the Authority criticised election-related misinformation on social media, describing it as a 'poison' that harmed the democratic process. One States Member criticised the Authority, saying that the required compliance forms had not been ready in time.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association sent a delegation of Commonwealth parliamentarians to observe the election process. After the election the International Election Observation Mission and the Jersey Electoral Authority both raised concerns about whether election law provided a level playing field between registered political parties and non-party campaign groups.
Turnout Turnout in 2026 was reported at 32.4%, down from 41.6% at the previous election in 2022. However, the number of people who cast a vote increased from 25,264 in 2022 to 27,691 in 2026. The lower turnout percentage was attributed largely to the introduction of automatic voter registration, which increased the number of people on the electoral roll from 60,701 to 85,470.
Voter turnout in Jersey has historically been low by international standards. Statistics Jersey’s 2025 Better Life Index ranked Jersey last for civic engagement among all OECD member and partner countries following the 2022 election
Political parties and groups
Two registered political parties participated in the election: Reform Jersey and People First. In addition, Value Jersey, a political movement rather than a registered party, promoted a policy platform that was endorsed by some independent candidates.
Reform Jersey Reform Jersey fielded 16 candidates in the 2026 election, including nine sitting members seeking re-election. Seven Reform Jersey candidates were elected. Party leader Sam Mézec, who stood for one of the nine Senatorial seats, was not elected.
Their manifesto was entitled Turning the Tide. It included costed key pledges on housing support for young Jersey people returning from university in the UK, developing new family-sized homes and affordable housing, reducing the use of overseas consultants, improving bus and cycle infrastructure, renovating Fort Regent, introducing tax allowances for pensioners, reducing Jersey's Marginal Rate on tax and removing the upper earnings cap on Social Security contributions.
People First Party A new left-wing political party called People First Party fielded two candidates, neither of whom were elected. Value Jersey
Nine independent candidates publicly associated themselves with the political movement Value Jersey, six of whom were elected. Its 'blueprint' argued that Jersey’s affordability and prosperity problems stem from a stalled economy, weakened productivity and rising costs for households, businesses and government. It called for disciplined government, stronger growth and greater competition as practical steps to reduce costs, restore confidence and avoid creating larger problems for the future.
Ahead of the 2026 vote, the States Assembly introduced a voluntary code of practice, requiring candidates to declare if they are a member of a non-party political group. Due to its status as a self-declared political movement, Value Jersey asserted these regulations would not apply, including requirements to declare where funding comes from. Some politicians in Jersey have called for Value Jersey to be more transparent with its funding and exactly which candidates are aligned with its movement. In response to scrutiny, Value Jersey clarified that the movement had received 58 donations from anonymous supporters, including a donation of £10,000 and a donation from an anonymous UK-based individual with business interests in Jersey. Results
Overview Independent candidates won 42 of the 49 seats. Six of those independents were publicly associated with support of Value Jersey, while Reform Jersey won seven seats, down from ten at the 2022 Jersey general election.
ITV News described the 2026 election as a vote for stability, contrasting it with the 2022 election, which it characterised as being defined by a desire for change. It noted that five of the nine elected Senators were serving members of the Council of Ministers, including Ian Gorst, Lyndon Farnham and Elaine Millar, who finished second, third and fourth respectively in the Senatorial contest. But eight sitting States Members failed to be re-elected, including three ministers. Reform Jersey leader Sam Mézec was among those defeated, finishing tenth in the island-wide election for Senator, in which the top nine candidates were elected.
Local media noted the increased representation of women in the States Assembly. Bailiwick Express reported that women had won 22 of the 49 seats, representing approximately 45% of elected members, while the Jersey Evening Post headlined its front page coverage: ‘It shows how far Jersey has come’.
BBC News highlighted that Gabriel Raimondo, elected ten days after his 18th birthday, was the youngest ever States Member.
By constituency
By formal party status and political affiliation
Formal party status Seats Of total Reform Jersey 7 14.3% Independents 42 85.7% People First 0 0.0% Six of the 42 elected independents were associated with or endorsed by Value Jersey. This was an overlapping political affiliation rather than a separate formal party classification.
List of elected members Senators + Name Party/affiliation Votes Helen Miles Independent 15,859 Independent 15,667 Independent 14,217 Independent 14,208 Independent 12,588 Independent 12,584 Alan Maclean Independent 12,506 Independent 11,948 Independent 11,571Source:
Connétables + Parish Name Party/affiliation Majority Grouville Independent 932 St Brelade Independent 754 St Clement Independent 1,588 St Helier Independent 780 St John Independent 1,015 St Lawrence Independent 543 St Martin Independent 1,021 St Mary Independent 195 St Ouen Independent 698 St Peter Independent 1,064 St Saviour Independent 264 Trinity Independent 511Source:
Deputies + Constituency Name Party/affiliation Majority St Helier South style="text-align:right;" | 247 Reform Jersey 85 Reform Jersey 27 St Helier Central Reform Jersey 294 Reform Jersey 170 Reform Jersey 38 Reform Jersey 22 St Helier North Independent 626 Independent 277 Independent 112 St Saviour Independent 759 Independent 547 Independent 225 Independent 120 St Clement Independent 293 Independent 117 Independent 114 St Brelade Independent 1,262 Reform Jersey 970 Independent 451 St Mary, St Ouen,and St Peter Independent 1,151 Independent 1,038 Independent 879 St John, St Lawrence,and Trinity Independent 1,569 Independent 1,330 Independent 801 Grouville and St Martin Independent 1,076 Independent 543Source:
Government formation
Chief Minister On 11 June 2026, the States Assembly announced that incumbent Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham was the only Member nominated to stand for the role, having received eight nominations from fellow States Members-elect. As only one Member had put their name forward, no vote was required under the Standing Orders of the States Assembly.
Farnham made a statement and answered questions at the States meeting on 19 June, after which he was selected as Chief Minister designate. Other ministers, including Chief Minister are scheduled to formally take up their positions on 29 June 2026.
See also Elections in Jersey Political parties in Jersey Politics of Jersey Constitution of Jersey
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