9 March 2021
St Helena goes to the polls next week on Wednesday, 17 March 2021, after Legislative Council unanimously agreed that a Consultative Poll on Governance Reform be held on St Helena.
The Poll will ask the public if the current Governance System should be changed, and if so, whether it should be changed to a Revised Committee System or a Ministerial System.
Polling Day
On Polling Day, 17 March, Polling Stations will open from 10am until 7pm and will be located as follows:
| Polling Station | Presiding Officer | Asst Presiding Officer |
| Alarm Forest (St Mary’s Church) | Brenda Thomas | Deborah Knipe |
| Blue Hill Community Centre | Diana Williams | Belinda Piek |
| Half Tree Hollow Community Centre | Karen Yon | Merlin George |
| Jamestown Community Centre | Olive Williams | Joan Yon |
| Levelwood Clinic | Brenda Stevens | Angela Francis |
| Longwood (Harford Community Centre) | Cecily Bateman | Priscilla Isaac |
| Sandy Bay Community Centre | Phyllis Coleman | Delphia Stevens |
| St Paul’s (Kingshurst Community Centre) | Jackie Moyce | Patrick Young |
Voters must vote in the Electoral District in which they are registered, unless they have had an application approved by the Registration Officer to vote in a different Electoral District to which they are registered for reasons such as convenience due to their working location.
Upon arrival to a Polling Station, the voter should proceed to the Assistant Presiding Officer’s desk who will ask their name and address. Voters will then be asked by the Presiding Officer if they know how to cast their vote and will explain the process if necessary. The Presiding Officer will issue the Ballot Paper to the voter. Voters can then cast their vote in secret.
How to Vote
There are two questions included on the Ballot Paper.
Question One asks whether or not the Current System of Governance should be changed. Voters to indicate ‘yes’ or ‘no’ by placing an ‘X’ in the relevant box. If a voter places an ‘X’ in both the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ boxes, the votes will be invalid and not counted.
Question Two asks, if the public will is for change, whether voters’ preference is for a Revised Committee System or a Ministerial System of Governance. Voters can place an ‘X’ against either box a) Revised Committee System or box b) Ministerial System. If a voter places an ‘X’ in both box a) and b) the votes will be invalid and not counted.
If a voter votes for no change in Question One, they can still cast a vote in Question Two so that their view is counted if the majority of voters vote for a change of system.
If a voter places a mark on a Ballot Paper by which he/she can be afterwards identified, the Ballot Paper will be void and will not be counted.
If a voter is blind, incapacitated or illiterate and is therefore unable to mark the Ballot Paper his/herself, the Presiding Officer will mark it for him/her if requested to do so by the voter.
Voting by Proxy
Those wishing to vote by Proxy are reminded that they must obtain advanced permission from Registration Officer, Carol George, at the Castle bycompleting and returning the relevant application form by no later than 10am on 15 March 2021.
Application forms are available from Registration Officer, Carol George, via email: carol.george@sainthelena.gov.sh and are also available on the SHG Website via: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/public-information/.
If you wish to vote by Proxy, your Proxy must be on the current Register of Electors, or have applied to have their name included on the Register since it came into effect in July 2020 or be on the Supplemental List of Individuals and registered in the same Electoral District in which you are registered.
An elector cannot be Proxy for more than one person.
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SHG
9 March 2021