Electoral system for national legislature

Saint Helena, Constitution, accessed 9 November 2021

The Legislature

47. There shall be a Legislature for St Helena consisting of Her Majesty and the Legislative Council.

Composition of Legislative Council

48. The Legislative Council shall consist of—

(a) a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker, who shall be elected as provided in section 55; and

(b) the following other Members—

(i) twelve Elected Members, who shall be persons qualified for election and elected in accordance with this Constitution; and

(ii) the Attorney General as ex officio Member.

55. (1) At the first sitting of the Legislative Council after a vacancy occurs in the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker, or both, and before the transaction of any other business (except the administration of oaths or affirmations under section 54), the Council shall by secret ballot proceed to elect, to fill the vacancy, a Speaker or, as the case may be, a Deputy Speaker from among persons who are not Elected Members of the Council but who are qualified to be elected as Members of the Council and are not disqualified in any way for membership.

Saint Helena, ELECTIONS ORDINANCE 2009, accessed 9 November 2021

Method of voting

8. (1) Except as provided in regulation 6, every voter (or proxy) must obtain from the Presiding Officer a ballot paper bearing the names of candidates and, in some convenient secret place within the polling station, mark an ‘X’ against the names of not more candidates than the seats to be filled in the election.

Declaration of result

19. (1) Subject to regulation 18, the Returning Officer must, immediately upon the completion of the counting of the votes, declare the result of the election.

(2) The number of candidates equal to the number of seats to be filled who obtain the greatest number of votes validly cast must be declared elected. If there is an equality of votes between 2 or more candidates, and the number of votes for each of them would affect the result of the election, the matter must be resolved by drawing lots.