How can I prepare for voters’ questions?

Read a lot, and talk a lot. In particular, seek out existing States Members and ask them about the issues that have been debated this term, and the different angles that concern people about them. Talking is helpful because you cover a lot of territory in a short amount of time, and you get a window into aspects of the issue that aren’t necessarily going to be obvious in writing.

Even if the deadline is a long way off, you might want to start preparing answers to the various candidate questionnaires that exist. Doing this will help you to think through where you stand on a variety of issues, so you’ll be able to answer more naturally when people ask you similar questions face-to-face.

Finally, don’t worry if you don’t know the answer to everything. Be honest with voters – most people respect that. Show that you’re willing to learn. Explain how you would go about solving a problem, if you don’t know the actual solution yet. Don’t shut the conversation down – I don’t think many voters would be impressed by a candidate who says “that’s outside my comfort zone, so I’m not going to talk about it.” But feel free to acknowledge “that’s something I need to learn more about”, and even to ask “what do you think I should know or do?”

Go back to Getting Into Guernsey Politics
Go back to Section 1.2: Getting Elected