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Isle of Man Government
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Election

Welcome to the House of Keys Election website

General information

Every five years the House of Keys is dissolved by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and a General Election is held to elect members of the House of Keys.

The House of Keys is the Lower Branch of Tynwald, which consists of 24 members who represent single member and multi member constituencies. The members of the House of Keys are directly elected by the people of the Isle of Man.

The administration of an election is the responsibility of the Chief Secretary's Office.

The amended Representation of the People Act 1995 and the Representation of the People Regulations 2006 are now available in the document which is available to download from the bottom of this page. This document includes the Election Rules at Schedule 2 to the 1995 Act.

Douglas West by-election to take place on May 23

VOTERS in the Douglas West constituency will go to the polls on Thursday, May 23, to elect a new Member of the House of Keys.

The seat was made vacant following the elevation of Geoff Corkish MBE to the Legislative Council.

The Notice of Election is here and the official Notice of Poll for the Douglas West by-election is available here

How to register to vote

In order to be eligible to vote at a House of Keys election or a local authority election your name must appear on the current electoral register.

The Electoral Registration Unit of the Treasury’s Economic Affairs Division undertakes an annual postal canvass of households and the information collected is used to create registers for each Island constituency. When completing the registration form every eligible member of the household can be included but any member can request another form for his or her personal registration. The Isle of Man has a system of ‘rolling’ registration and this allows residents to register, or alter, their details for the register on an ongoing basis. Registration is not for life and so you should ensure that you complete a registration form every year to be sure that you are included in the register.

For further guidance on how to register to vote, please click here

Guidance for voters

In the Isle of Man there are three methods of voting in House of Keys elections. The guidance for voters document will assist you if you need to register to vote and how to:

Guidance for candidates

The guidance for candidates document aims to provide practical advice to anyone who wants to stand for a House of Keys General Election.

The information is provided as a guide and covers each of the main steps towards standing in a House of Keys election from nomination to the declaration of the result.

Election Information

Q Where can I obtain a copy of the Representation of the People Act 1995 and Regulations?
AThey can be downloaded free of charge from this website or a paper copy can be obtained from the Tynwald Library, Legislative Buildings, Finch Road, Douglas for £8.60.
Q How can I become a candidate for an Election?
AYou should start by reading the Election Rules which form part of the Representation of the People Act. The Returning Officer for your constituency should be able to help with any further questions you may have.
Q Where can I obtain a copy of the Electoral Register?
AThe General Registry, Isle of Man Courts of Justice, Deemsters Walk, Douglas can supply a copy of the edited Register.
Q Who supplies the Election Forms?
AThe Returning Officer for the constituency in which the candidate is standing.
Q Where can I obtain a Nomination or Absent Voter Form?
AThe Returning Officer for your constituency or your local police station can provide these forms.
Q Where can I find my Electoral Number?
AIf you do not know your Electoral Number contact:
Economic Affairs Division (Tel: 685754)
General Registry, Deemsters Walk, Douglas (Tel 685749); or
The Returning Officer for your Constituency; or
Your Local Authority or Commissioners Office.
Q Where can I find a plan of my Constituency?
AMapping Section, Department of Infrastructure http://www.gov.im/transport/planning/cartography.xml
Downloadable Documents
Acrobat PDF FileNotice of by-election May 2013 (20 kb)
Format:Acrobat PDF File
Notice of by-election May 2013
Acrobat PDF FileDouglas West notice of poll 2013 (69 kb)
Format:Acrobat PDF File
Douglas West notice of poll 2013
Acrobat PDF FileGuidance for voters (434 kb)
Format:Acrobat PDF File
Guidance for voters
Acrobat PDF FileGuidance for candidates (112 kb)
Format:Acrobat PDF File
Guidance for candidates
Acrobat PDF FileHow to register to vote (27 kb)
Format:Acrobat PDF File
How to register to vote
Acrobat PDF FileRepresentation of the People Act 1995 (1552 kb)
Format:Acrobat PDF File
Representation of the People Act 1995 as amended - including Election Rules at Schedule 2. Representation of the People Regulations 2006
Acrobat PDF FileRepresentation of the People (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (2366 kb)
Format:Acrobat PDF File
Representation of the People (Amendment) Regulations 2011
Acrobat PDF FileElection Rules (Amendment) Order 2011 (338 kb)
Format:Acrobat PDF File
Election Rules (Amendment) Order 2011
Acrobat PDF FileThe Election Rules (Amendment) Order 2010 (346 kb)
Format:Acrobat PDF File
The Election Rules (Amendment) Order 2010
Acrobat PDF FileThe Representation of the People (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (2348 kb)
Format:Acrobat PDF File
The Representation of the People (Amendment) Regulations 2010

You will need Adobe Acrobat to download documents that are PDFs, this is available free by following this link:Download Adobe Acrobat