Public feedback is being sought to help shape the future of elections in the Isle of Man.
A consultation has been launched as part of the root and branch review of the Island’s election legislation.
The aim is modernise the democratic process and provide greater clarity and consistency for House of Keys and local authority elections.
People are being invited to submit their views by taking part in an online survey that runs until Sunday 20 May 2018.
The questions cover a wide range of issues such as the timing of elections, alternatives to voting in person, voter registration, the role of returning officers and rules for candidates.
The public consultation supports the work being carried out by the Cabinet Office. This includes looking at ways to protect the integrity of free and fair elections, to remove any grey areas from the current legislation, to increase voter turnout and to explore the introduction of new technology where appropriate.
John Turner, the former Chief Executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, has been engaged to provide independent support and advice. A series of meetings have taken place to gain the views of Tynwald Members, 2016 Keys candidates, returning officers, registered political partners, local authorities and the Department of Infrastructure.
The survey responses from members of the public will be considered alongside the stakeholder feedback to inform the review process.
Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas MHK said:
‘The Isle of Man has a proud tradition of democracy. We have the oldest continuous parliament in the world, we were one of the first jurisdictions to enable women to vote and we were the first in Western Europe to lower the minimum voting age to 16.’
He added:
‘The public consultation intentionally stays away from the detail regarding elections and instead poses a number of high-level questions on how elections should run in the Isle of Man. I would encourage as many people as possible to respond to the online questionnaire. This is an opportunity to help shape the future of legislation that is at the very heart of our democracy.’
