Political Awareness and Education Sub-Committee Minutes (Part A)

Privileges and Procedures Committee Political Awareness and Education Sub-Committee (1st Meeting)

18th September 2025

  Part A (Non-Exempt)

All members were present, with the exception of Deputy C.F. Labey of Grouville , from whom apologies had been received.

Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central , Chair Connétable A.N. Jehan of St. John

Connétable K. Shenton-Stone of St. Martin Deputy I. Gardiner of St. Helier North Deputy R.S. Kovacs of St. Saviour

In attendance -

J. O' Brien, Head of Digital and Public Engagement, States Greffe

C. Tucker, Secretariat Officer, Specialist Secretariat, States Greffe

E. Patterson, Secretariat Officer, Specialist Secretariat, States Greffe

Note:  The Minutes of this meeting comprise Part A only.

Minutes.  A1. The Minutes of the meeting held on 3rd April 2025, of the Sub-Committee as

previously constituted, having previously been circulated, were taken as read and were confirmed.

Welcome.  A2. Members were welcomed to the inaugural meeting of the newly constituted

Political Awareness and Education (PAE) Sub-Committee.

It was noted that, at its meeting on 15th July 2025, the Privileges and Procedures Committee had re-appointed Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central as Chair of the PAE Sub-Committee and had extended an invitation to all States Members to join the Sub-Committee.

Appointment  A3. The Sub-Committee decided to appoint Deputy I. Gardiner of St. Helier North of Vice Chair.  as Vice Chair of the Political Awareness and Education Sub-Committee.

Coming-of-age  A4. The Sub-Committee, with reference to Minute No. A4 of 29th January 2025, events.  of the Sub-Committee as previously constituted, received an oral update from

Connétable A.N. Jehan of St. John, in connexion with the Coming-of-Age' events which were designed to increase political engagement and which were due to be hosted by Parishes.

It was recalled that the events sought to encourage young Islanders who were nearing the eligible voting age, or constituents who had recently moved to the Parish, to engage with the democratic process.

The Connétable of St. John advised that attendance levels at a recent event which had been organised for new residents had been disappointing but that it could be a good bolt on' to an event planned to take place on 17th December 2025. Connétable K. Shenton-Stone of St. Martin suggested that the Comité des Connétable s (the Comité) might establish a timetable of events of this nature ahead of the 2026 public election and she undertook to raise the matter at the next scheduled meeting of the Comité. Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central , Chair added that the International Culture Centre could also provide support in connexion with promoting the events.

The Connétable of St. John agreed to provide an update in due course.

Outreach  A5. The Sub-Committee, with reference to Minute No. A5 of 18th November 2024, Strategy  of  the  Sub-Committee  as  previously  constituted,  welcomed  Ms.  J.  Le  Cornu, update.  Outreach  Manager,  Digital  and  Public  Engagement  (DPE),  States  Greffe  and

received a presentation in connexion with the Outreach Strategy (the Strategy).

It was recalled that the Strategy comprised a 4-year programme designed to build understanding,  trust  and  engagement  with  Jersey's  elected  parliament.  The establishment  of  strong  working  relationships  with  corporate  and  community stakeholders was also envisaged. The Sub-Committee was advised that the Strategy sought to engage 7 key audiences and that consideration was given to voter pathways and potential barriers to voting. The following audiences had been identified –

- corporate associations, charities, and arm's length organisations;

- Islanders with English as a second language;

- Islanders in urban areas (particularly St. Helier );

- Islanders with disabilities or neurodiversity;

- Islanders newly eligible to vote;

- public sector colleagues; and,

- existing voters.

Ms. Le Cornu outlined a number of initiatives which had been tailored to engage each  of the  7 key  audiences.  It was noted  that  strong relationships  had  been established with Portuguese and Madeiran communities, who made up circa. 9 per cent of Jersey's population. Drop-in sessions in Portuguese-speaking cafes were planned, with Portuguese speaking representatives of Vote.je and information about the upcoming election would be distributed. Additional resources, such as posters, surveys, EasyRead booklets and social media posts had also been made available in the Portuguese language.

Bespoke tours of the States Chamber for those with neurodiversity or disabilities had been developed by the DPE team. Adaptations to tours ensured that they were accessible to all participants. An accessibility statement had been produced for participants which highlighted the limitations of the States Building due to its historic  status  and  the  accommodations  which  could  be  made  for  those  with accessibility issues. EasyRead' content had been developed in partnership with Enable Jersey's Voice Group and Beresford Street Kitchen to increase political literacy and engagement through an internationally recognised format.

It was acknowledged that between 2022 – 2026, over 3,000 young people would be eligible to vote. To engage newly eligible voters, consideration was being given to developing an evening training course at Highlands College, entitled Your States Assembly'. Additionally, a lunch and learn' initiative, which included a 30-minute presentation and  an informal quiz,  had  been introduced and rolled  out across corporate  associations,  charities  and  arm's  length  organisations  to  engage prospective voters.

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On a related matter, Connétable A.N. Jehan of St. John suggested that consideration be given to the location of polling stations and the provision of clear Island-wide signage for the same. Promoting the ability to vote by post was also suggested. Ms. J. O'Brien, Head of Digital and Public Engagement, States Greffe, informed the Sub- Committee that work was ongoing to streamline the  postal voting registration process and the location of polling stations was being considered by the Jersey Electoral Authority.

The Sub-Committee thanked Ms. Le Cornu for attending and she withdrew from the meeting.

Jersey Youth  A6. The Sub-Committee, with reference to Minute No. A2 of 3rd April 2025, of the Assembly.  Sub-Committee as previously constituted, welcomed Ms. M. Gladwin, Education

Manager, Digital and Public Engagement, States Greffe, and received an oral update in connexion with the Jersey Youth Assembly (JYA).

It was recalled that the Sub-Committee, as previously constituted, had endorsed the new programme format and branding materials for the JYA. A number of options had been discussed in relation to strengthening the relationship of the JYA with the States Assembly, with the following proposals suggested –

- extending authority to the JYA under Standing Order 25 to submit reports to the States Assembly in its own name;

- a requirement for Ministerial response to these reports; and,

- participation by JYA members in in-committee debates with Elected Members.

In order to facilitate the above, amendments to the Standing Orders of the States of Jersey had been drafted for approval by the Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC). However, PPC had raised concerns in connexion with the frequency of in- committee debates arising from JYA reports and the impact this would have on States business. The prioritisation of the JYA over other groups had also been raised.

Ms. Gladwin advised that the JYA programme had been informed by, among other things, the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry 2017 and feedback from previous Youth Parliament participants and their parents and input from key stakeholders across the public service. It was noted that young people wished to establish a closer and more direct relationship with the Assembly and that attending States meetings would facilitate this. To mitigate the concerns raised by PPC, it was agreed that a maximum of 3 JYA reports should be presented to the States Assembly each year, with 3 in- committee debates.

It was noted that, as a result of concerns regarding the proposals, PPC had deferred consideration  of  the  matter  and  had  agreed  that  officers  with  operational responsibility for the JYA should attend the next scheduled meeting to respond to concerns. The Chair suggested that a Member of the Sub-Committee also attend.

The Sub-Committee thanked Ms. Gladwin for attending and withdrew from the meeting.

Automatic  A7. The Sub-Committee, with reference to Minute No. A3 of 3rd April 2025, of the Voter  Sub-Committee as previously constituted, received an oral update from Ms. J. O' Registration  Brien, Head of Digital and Public Engagement, States Greffe, in connexion with the project.  Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) project.

The Sub-Committee recalled that, in adopting P.27/2025 – draft Elections (Electoral Registers) (Jersey) Amendment Law 202-, the States had approved changes which enabled a move to AVR, replacing the current paper-based opt in' system with a database created from the People Directory. In practice, this meant that, rather than completing an annual statement which listed those eligible for inclusion on the electoral register, members of the public who were over 16 years of age and who met the residency criteria would automatically be included on the register. It was anticipated that this would make it easier for people to vote and would remove barriers to voting.

The Sub-Committee noted delays to the project were due to changes requested by Members to the draft Elections Law, resourcing issues, and additional work in connexion with the Tirage system (jury selection). Consideration would be given as to whether annual statements needed to be issued ahead of the 2026 public election dependent upon the progress and outcome of the testing.

The Sub-Committee noted the position.

Use of  A8. The Sub-Committee received an oral update from Ms. J. O'Brien, Head of excerpts of  Digital and Public Engagement (DPE), States Greffe in connexion with a proposal film footage of  to use excerpts of the film footage of States Meetings on social media channels. States

Meetings.  It was noted that the Public-I' platform was used to livestream States meetings onto

the States Assembly website and that these livestreams had also been made available on the States Assembly YouTube and X platforms to engage wider audiences. It was noted that the use of YouTube also made it possible for excerpts of States Meetings to  be  captured  and  posted  on  social  media  channels.  Consequently,  the  Sub- Committee was being asked to consider a proposal to use excerpts of film footage on social media to increase voter engagement (subject to the approval of the Privileges and Procedures Committee).

The Sub-Committee discussed the above proposals, and concern was raised in connexion with potential inequity in terms of representing the voices of all States Members/creating an unfair advantage for sitting Members over other election candidates ahead of the public election.

The Sub-Committee agreed that the proposal should be reviewed after the election to avoid any perception of bias or partisanship. In the meantime, the Sub-Committee agreed that training could be provided for Members who wished to post excerpts of States meetings on their individual social media accounts.

Errors in the  A9. The Sub-Committee received an oral update from Ms. J. O' Brien, Head of local media  Digital and Public Engagement (DPE), States Greffe, in connexion with a series of and social  errors in reporting in the local media and social media breaches.

media

breaches.  The Sub-Committee noted that errors in the local media had conflated the roles of

the Privileges and Procedures Committee and the Scrutiny function. It was advised that published articles continued to be monitored by the DPE team and that these issues had been raised through the relevant channels. Training for new journalists had also been provided by the States Greffe.

Due to the severity of recent social media breaches, some accounts had been blocked from States Assembly social media channels. The Sub-Committee was advised that States Members could choose to have comments disabled on posts in which they featured. However,  this  prevented these  posts  from being boosted' for wider engagement purposes. Members were also reminded that online threats could be reported to the States of Jersey Police.

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The Sub-Committee requested that the States Greffe social media policy be re- circulated to all States Members.

Plan to Stand  A10. The Sub-Committee received an oral update from Ms. J. O' Brien, Head of Campaign.  Digital and Public Engagement (DPE), States Greffe, in connexion with the Plan to

Stand' campaign (the campaign)

It was noted that the campaign aimed to encourage Islanders to consider standing for election. The Sub-Committee was apprised of ongoing initiatives to promote the campaign, including advertising in Parish magazines, in person events and social media content.

Democracy  A11. The Sub-Committee, with reference to Minute No. A8 of 18th November 2024, Week 2025.  of the Sub-Committee as previously constituted, received an oral update from Ms.

J. O' Brien, Head of Digital and Public Engagement (DPE), States Greffe, in connexion with the sixth annual Democracy Week campaign in 2025.

It was noted that Democracy Week 2025 was due to take place from 20th September to 27th September 2025, and the following events had been arranged –

- pop-up stands across the Island;

- guided tours of the States Chamber;

- political history walking tours;

- school visits;

- a screening of the Suffragette movie and exhibition of 1924 women's petition at Jersey Museum;

- People Power' Exhibition in the Royal Square;

- podcasts;

- Plan to Stand' breakfast event for prospective candidates; and,

- Mark my Words' oracy competition final.

The Sub-Committee requested that all States Members be notified of the above events.

E-newsletter.  A12. The Sub-Committee received an oral update from Ms. J. O' Brien, Head of

Digital and Public Engagement (DPE), States Greffe, in connexion with the States Assembly e-newsletter.

It was noted that an e-newsletter had been established and could be subscribed to via the States Assembly website. The newsletter was released every 3 weeks in tandem with meetings of the States Assembly and aimed to maintain consistent engagement.

On a related matter, concerns were raised in connexion with the low number of followers  on  some  of  the  States  Assembly  social  media  platforms.  The  Sub- Committee was assured that, despite moderate follower numbers on some platforms, engagement was growing and the DPE team used paid adverts on the social media channels to increase reach and engagement beyond the page followers. Weekly engagement reports with relevant data could be shared with interested Members.

The Sub-Committee noted the position.

Date of next  A13. The Sub-Committee noted that the next scheduled meeting would be held on meeting.  6th November 2025, from 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm in the Blampied Room, States

Building.