Deputy Geoff Southern criticises the States electoral registration system.

[Jason the Maverick]

http://www5.channelonline.tv/news/templates/jerseynews2.aspx?articleid=16187&zoneid=1

A Jersey Deputy has criticised the States electoral registration system.

Deputy Geoff Southern says the Island's government has made it increasingly difficult for people who need help with their postal forms.

Candidates have been threatened with a fine if they're caught assisting anyone, but Deputy Southern has promised to continue nonetheless.

He told Channel Online: "The most recent move was that was interfering with the vote process. No it's not it's helping somebody. The reality is if somebody asks me to help them fill in a postal request form I'll do it. Because not to do it would be actually quite straight forwardly rude."

He must therefore rely on such an approach surely?

[Tory Boy]

He shouldn't be doing that because it presses people to vote for him.

If he only got in last time with 400 votes then he must be scared of not getting in again.  Bleeding socialists.

[Jersey Spud]

How can it be rude if the politician politely explains to that person that he / she (the politician) could face a fine for helping.

Why not just go the whole hog, turn a blind eye and let him man the polling station and count the votes as well?

[Jason the Maverick]

You are right.  No other candidate elect is making such a fuss.  It actually makes you wonder where his votes are coming from.

[Tory Boy]

Said on CTV that he would help the 'infirm' to vote,  so what does that tell you?  Him and his socialist party cannot do a sodding thing for the people who give him a vote because anybody who is infirm knows he hasn't got any power and his policies are unworkable.

Desperation if you ask me.

[Lieve]

I don't see there is any harm in assisting them to fill in their registration form. However, I DO object to giving assistance in filling in the pre-vote form or the postal form; you might as well suggest you will walk them into the polling station, and hold their hand. I most definitely say No! to that as well!

If people really need assistance, most people know at least one person that could help them; Geoff Southern - or anyone else for that matter - does not have to 'leap across' to be their "knight in shining armour". Surely, Deputy Southern, you see the flaw in the plan yourself ! Even if you knew for yourself you wouldn't make people vote for you, you just do not put yourself in a position where anyone could accuse you of having done so !

[Jason the Maverick]

I am surprised at his attitude to this as they have stated it will be £2,000.00 fine.

After all, he is trying to get elected to a position where he will be voting on changes to the law.  It is therefore not the behaviour you would expect from a candidate elect in blatently going against it.

I just wonder what would happen if he does get done?  Would it ruin his chances completely?

[JACKSBACK]

Geoff Southern is right. He is doing nothing wrong in helping people with their votes and good on him for standing up against this stupid rule.

[Jason the Maverick]

Apart from breaking the law.

[Voltaire]

how are they going to police if he has filled in a form or not? are they going to follow him round when he goes knocking on doors? They need something harder to prevent these people from breaking the law, how about they state that anyone caught doing this cannot run in the elections, he would soon stop.

for infirm read "easily conned" as thats the only way they can get in, by using the infirm. I would love to see real demographic data on the people that voted for each candidate, age, home type, earnings, etc. It would probably open a few eyes. You don't find so many "infirm" in St John's so you won't see any that use this trick standing there.

[Conductor]

Our minds are alike 

So lets look at the facts.

They stand for election in the parishes they don't even live in and if they do live in the parish they go around bullying old people to vote for them.  That's not democratic, that sucks.

[Pomme de terre]

I think the oligarchy should employ a private eye to tail him  

[Voltaire]

wonder if they will be using the children from the youth club again this year to do all the legwork and poster drops in the areas without "infirm" residents? We saw teams of ten to fourteen year olds doing oxford road last time and as well as posting Pitman and Southern they where removing other candidates papers from the postboxes, wonder where they learned that?

[Jason the Maverick]

I think the oligarchy should employ a private eye to tail him  

I would not be surprised if a few people are keeping a close eye on him now, especially after his TV interview tonight.