Ben Chapple
BBC News

Count officials prepared 14,000 postal votes ahead of the start of the count on Thursday morning.

Those who used the postal vote will know that their ballot paper was placed in a brown 'A' envelope before that and their declaration of identity was placed in a white 'B' envelope for posting to the election team.

The team processed the declarations and put the brown vote envelopes into smaller ballot boxes ready to be opened, unfolded and put into stacks of 50 to be counted.

More than 21,000 of the 31,301 people on the electoral roll opted for a postal vote.

Adam Durbin
BBC News

Prospective deputy Aidan Matthews explained his childhood with his father, former deputy Rhoderick Matthews, influenced his decision to run for the States in this election.

He said: "As a young lad you're called on to do things like envelope stuffing, going around doorsteps and knocking on doors.

"I think you're familiar with how policies get made and discussed and are voted on... so there's less of a barrier for you to jump over."

The more senior member of the Matthews family said he was "quite pleased" to be involved in the election in a different capacity, without having to stand himself.

"Rooting for Aiden is quite good and when I hear good comments about me and him, it's rather nice.

"But I think the legacy does work in reverse as well."

On the advice he offered his son during campaigning, Rhoderick said the key was to speak to as many voters as possible, as well as sending a separate manifesto round to voters alongside the States collected booklet.

Listen live to BBC Radio Guernsey's election special.

Ben Chapple
BBC News

With the move to island-wide voting, the introduction of electronic counting and the high uptake of postal votes there is a lot different about this election.

Estimates from those running the count put the declaration after 21:00.

Pictured is the podium in the main hall of Beau Sejour from which central returning officer Gordon Snell will read the declaration.

Ben Chapple
BBC News

This election has not seen the usual hustle and bustle at polling stations as most islanders chose postal voting.

With the remaining 10,000 voters spread across four days and 14 polling stations, including two island-wide 'super' stations, they were a lot quieter than in previous elections.

Certainly, I startled one of the election volunteers when I walked into the one in my parish.

Many candidates have continued to campaign during the polling days, but few have been seen setting up camp outside polling stations and the lack of photos being shared of dogs outside polling stations (which has become an election day tradition for many) tells it's own story - although the weather hasn't helped.

While many postal voters have used the postbox, a number (and as it's anecdotal it's unclear how many) have been handing their completed ballots into polling stations to ensure it arrives on time.

There are many changes in this election, but the uptake of postal voting - following a very successful awareness campaign by the States election team - was certainly higher than expected with it 10 times higher than in 2016.

But with islanders able to cast up to 38 votes and the global pandemic it's hardly a surprise many preferred to vote at home.

Ben Chapple
BBC News

Sometimes you need to think outside the box for a solution to an unusual problem.

In order to be registered by the electronic counting machines the ballot papers cannot be crumpled.

Those who voted in person were asked not to fold their papers.

If any postal ballots are too crumpled to run through the machine then an iron will be used to flatten them.

Staff from the firm that supplied the electronic counting machines are also in the island.

Due to the pandemic they are wearing masks and have been tested daily during their week in the island.

Ben Chapple
BBC News

Seven candidates joined members of the media for a briefing from central returning officer Gordon Snell at 08:30 before the count officially started at 09:00.

Others started to arrive as the count was under way.

Candidates are able to observe the count throughout the process.

Ben Chapple
BBC News

With 119 names and party logos on the ballot paper it was always going to be much bigger than islanders would be used to at local elections.

So as part of the move to island-wide voting taller ballot boxes were brought in.

More than one third of candidates at Guernsey's first island-wide election are standing for a political party.

This is the first vote in the island which permits them, with 41 out of 119 prospective deputies having joined one of three parties - although two of the three are operating as groupings rather than a traditional view of a party as would be seen in the UK.

A variety of topics appeared consistently in the 225 pages of candidate manifestos, with the key issues appearing to be education, healthcare and the economy.

References to the economy dominated the booklet, with more than 761 mentions of tax, the economy and business between the candidates

Matters of education or school were also popular, being noted 570 times within the manifestos.

Issues to do with health, social care, mental health and nurses were also widespread, contributing more than 430 mentions.

Infrastructure, housing and transport issues were noted on 443 occasions.

Issues facing the States in the future also occurred throughout, with environmental issues being mentioned around 350 times, while the coronavirus pandemic and recovery from it brought up nearly 200 times.

Cannabis reform and the justice system was also key for quite a few candidates, with candidates referring to these issues on nearly 150 occasions.

Just under one in four candidates for the States at this election are women, a similar proportion to the 23% that stood in 2016.

The 28 female candidates standing is higher than the last election, when 19 women stood from 81 overall candidates, but the number of male candidates has also risen to 91 this year.

The amount candidates can spend and rules on parties were introduced ahead of the 2020 election.

According to Guernsey's election law, all expenses relating to goods and services used for campaigning from nominations opening on 1 September until election day are limited and must be declared.

Each candidate was able spend up to £6,000 on their campaign in this regulated period, which lasted until the polls closed on 7 October.

Up to half of this could be transferred to an affiliated party, with each party limited to spending £9,000 over the same time frame.

Nothing in the rules covers money spent on goods and services, paid for and used before the regulated period.

More than two thirds of people on the electoral roll registered for a postal vote at the first island-wide election.

More than 21,000 islanders out of 31,301 elected to not vote at a polling station.

More than half of candidates in the election are standing for the first time, with 66 total newcomers to Guernsey's political landscape.

Current deputies represent 29 of the nominations, with eight of those sitting having elected to stand down, while nine former deputies are running for office once.

Candidates who have previously stood for election make up the final 15 of the 119 total prospective deputies.

St Peter Port has far more candidates in the first island-wide election than any other parish with 37.

The next largest parish for candidate representation is the Vale with 19, while St Andrew and Torteval have the fewest with just two each.

However, this maps onto the population of the island, with St Peter Port being home to about 30% of Guernsey's population and the two smaller parishes each representing less than 2%.

Ben Chapple
BBC News

The first of the ballot boxes were opened just after 09:00.

The ballot papers are being collated into stacks of 50, which are then fed through one of two counting machines.

The first bundles, from voters in Torteval, went through the machines at about 9:20.

Ben Chapple
BBC News

The ballot boxes are being emptied and the electronic counting machines are in use as the count has begun in Guernsey's first island-wide general election.

The boxes have been collected from the parish and super polling stations - although most voters chose to sign up for postal votes, which are being opened and unfolded.