"Lessons learned" exercise under way following move to automatic voter registration - Jersey Evening Post
by James Jeune · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
“Lessons learned” exercise under way following move to automatic voter registration
by James Jeune 15 July 202614 July 2026
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A FORMAL “lessons learned” exercise is under way following Jersey’s first election using automatic voter registration.
Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said the new system introduced ahead of June’s election had delivered “significant benefit” but would be subject to “ongoing refinement”.
The system automatically added eligible Islanders to the electoral register using existing Government of Jersey data, replacing the previous manual registration process.
However, it was not without teething issues – some records had to be resolved manually after discrepancies in government data, including differences in how names were recorded. Some Islanders reported finding out on election day that they were registered at addresses they had left many years ago.
St Martin Constable Karen Shenton-Stone yesterday asked Deputy Farnham to commit to ongoing support and funding to ensure the system met the needs of the parishes.
“…A formal lessons learned exercise is currently under way,” he replied. “That includes feedback from those involved in delivering the system, together with an independent review workshop facilitated by the chair of the Jersey Electoral Authority.”
He continued: “That work will help identify any areas where the current system can be improved to better meet both the requirements of the Elections (Jersey) Law, and the operational needs of the parishes.”
Deputy Farnham thanked parish staff for their work before the election and said the aim of automatic registration had been to remove unnecessary barriers to voting.
“The project has already helped deliver a significant benefit,” he said, noting that the number of registered electors increased from 60,701 in 2022 to 85,470 for the 2026 election.”
He added that “ongoing refinement, support and continuous improvements are necessary” to ensure the system remained accurate and effective.
Any future funding requirements, he said, would be considered through the normal Budget process, but the government remained committed to working with the parishes to continue improving the system.
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