Election information and my first leaflet

The by-election in St Helier No. 2 district will be on the 5th of March.

Do I live in St Helier No. 2 district?

St Helier No. 2 district includes the Springfield area, Grands Vaux, Trinity Hill, the Town Park, Val Plaisant and Union Street.

You can see a full map of St Helier divided into it's districts here - http://www.sthelier.je/media/227530/st_helier_april_06-ammended_with_names_-_a3__1_.pdf

If you do not live in St Helier No. 2, you will not be able to vote for me in this by-election. However, if you live in St Helier No. 1 district there is also another by-election going on there. So make sure to pay attention to who the candidates are.

Are you registered?

To vote in this by-election you must be registered to vote before the 3rd of February.

If you have registered before in the past 2 years, you will still be registered. If you are unsure whether you are registered or not, fill in this online form and the Parish will let you know - http://www.sthelier.je/do-it-online/check-you're-on-the-electoral-register/

To register, you must fill this form in and leave it at the Town Hall (it's fine to just drop it in the letter box if it's closed) - http://www.sthelier.je/media/267444/electoral_registration_form_pdf.pdf

It does not matter how long you have lived in the district/ Parish when you register, so long as you have lived in Jersey for either the past 2 years, or the past 6 months plus a period of 5 years.

How to vote

On the 5th of March, you can vote any time from 8am to 8pm at Springfield Stadium.

There will also be pre-poll voting at St Paul's Centre on New Street. It will be open from -

Monday 24th February - Friday 28th February 9am - 5pm
Saturday 1st March 9am - 4pm
Monday 3rd March 9am - 2pm

Make sure you bring photographic ID to the polling station.

If you will be out of the island on the day, you could pre-poll vote at St Paul's, or you could arrange for a postal vote to be sent to you (this will be particularly handy for students away at university). You can download the application form here - http://www.sthelier.je/media/269482/application_for_postal_vote__deputy_election_5th_march_2014_.doc

The Judicial Greffe must receive the form by noon on the 28th February for you to be registered in time to have your ballot sent to you. The ballot must then be sent so that it arrives before noon on the 5th March to be counted.

Also, if you have problems getting around and would prefer for someone to visit your home at a convenient time so that you can vote, you can apply for a pre-poll home vote by filling in this form - http://www.sthelier.je/media/269459/application_for_pre-poll_visit_re_sickness__deputy_election_5_march_2014_.doc

Need help?

If you are unsure of anything, the staff at the Town Hall are there to help and will explain anything to you. You can call them on 811811 or email them at townhall@posh.gov.je.

Alternatively, I am happy to help, just get in touch (my contact details are on the leaflet below).

Note - As a candidate I can help you register to vote, register for a home vote and deliver the forms for you. However I cannot help you fill out a postal vote form because of Jersey law.

Leaflet

This is just my preliminary leaflet, as a sort of "ice-breaker" when speaking to voters. I am working on my full manifesto now and will release it after nominations.


Thank you to everyone who has sent messages of support or stopped me in the street to wish me luck!

Channel TV interview on my candidacy in the St Helier No. 2 by-election

Channel TV have done a report on young people in politics in Jersey, featuring an interview with myself on my candidacy in the St Helier No. 2 by-election.

Thank you to everyone who has sent nice messages of support since I declared.

Onwards to the 5th of March!

By-election Statement

Dear Readers,


I suspect the following news will not come as a surprise to many of you.

Following discussions with my friends and family, plus messages of support from people in and out of politics, I have decided to contest the by-election in St Helier No. 2 district.

I have been campaigning for close to two years now for improvements to Jersey’s democracy. During this time I have spoken to people in all parts of our Island for whom things have gotten tougher and tougher over the past few years.

Unemployment is the highest it has ever been. The cost of living has been rising, with wages stagnating. The Islands population is growing and politicians do not seem to have a grip on it.

A survey at the end of last year revealed that 75% of people in Jersey do not have faith in the States. Most Islanders also choose not to vote.

I believe that democracy should offer hope to people that they are able to take their future into their own hands and choose a government that they can have faith in to always stand up for our interests as a community and not the interests of a few at the top. I believe that the way we do politics in Jersey needs to drastically change to be brought up to a 21st Century standard that is fit for purpose to address the needs of Islanders in a way that is in line with our values as a community.

My politics puts ordinary people at the forefront of what I believe in. I believe in a society in which wealth and power are in the hands of the many, not the few. I will robustly stand up for anyone in Jersey who is struggling to get by and is in need of help. But I hope that even those in Jersey who live comfortable lives will understand the points I make and realise that Jersey can be made better for all island residents by the changes I will propose.

I was born in Jersey and it will always be my home. Being a Jerseyman is a huge part of my identity. I am grateful for having been lucky enough to be born in such a fantastic part of the world. Nothing I will ever do will be done with the intention of making Jersey a worse place.

During the referendum campaign last year, I spent the bulk of my time campaigning in St Helier and I really grew to feel for the voters who I believe have drawn the short straw in Jersey’s democracy. Their vote is not worth as much as a voter in any other Parish and I believe that, now more than ever, St Helier needs politicians who will not accept anything less than full equality for St Helier voters.

I understand that some people, whilst they might agree with much of what I say, will consider my relatively young age to be a disadvantage, but I believe it is a virtue. I am not tainted by any past mistakes or associations. I have not been beaten into cynicism by defeat after defeat. I am full of energy, enthusiasm and idealism. There are plenty of States Members with varying degrees of experience, and throwing in another grey-haired businessman is not going to change the way politics is done in Jersey.

In the coming weeks I will release a detailed manifesto and hit the streets to get the message across.

Any help that anyone can offer, be it blood, sweat and tears, or even just a donation to help me pay for posters and leaflets, will be gratefully received. I cannot win an election by myself and will need a team of people behind me who share my enthusiasm for what Jersey is capable of.

I hope that even those of you who may not agree with my politics will be able to respect the campaign I run and at least consider me a candidate that may be worth backing, if only to send a message to the current States Members that politics in Jersey has to change.


Thank you,

Sam


www.facebook.com/SamMezecStHelier