I spent just shy of an hour in Strand Street on Friday asking people a seemingly simple question: do you know who Kirrie Jenkins or Chris Thomas are?

Armed with a picture of the two Chief Minister candidates, I approached more than 50 people, young and old, men and women, shoppers and passers-by.

The result? Only a handful recognised Chris Thomas.

The same Chris Thomas who has been Treasury Minister since February and has been a Member of the House of Keys since 2013. The same Chris Thomas who is now vying for the support of his fellow MHKs to become the island's next Chief Minister on Tuesday.

Kirrie Jenkins was less of a surprise. She is a newly elected MHK, having entered the political arena at September's General Election, and is now chasing the biggest job in Manx politics. I can understand why fewer people might know her.

But the lack of recognition for Mr Thomas left me wondering: are people disillusioned with politics, simply uninterested, or was I just asking the wrong question at the wrong time on a Friday afternoon?

To be fair, asking strangers about politics in the middle of Strand Street is not exactly a guaranteed way to make friends (I don’t have many!)

Some probably thought I was crazy. Others might have had more pressing things on their minds than who occupies the Treasury or who wants to lead the next administration.

Yet these decisions matter.

Tuesday's vote will help determine the direction of the island's government, influencing everything from public services and housing to the economy and the cost of living.

There are signs that people do care. A total of 36,097 votes were cast across the island at September's General Election, 3,285 more than at the previous election.

That suggests plenty of people were willing to have their say.

So has the last administration put people off politics? Or was my little Strand Street experiment simply a snapshot of a moment, rather than any meaningful measure of public opinion?

I certainly wouldn't pretend 50 conversations can speak for the whole island. But it was striking all the same.

On Tuesday, the remaining MHKs will decide whether Chris Thomas or Kirrie Jenkins becomes Chief Minister, or whether the process takes an unexpected turn.

Whatever happens, it is a hugely important day and week for the Isle of Man.

Follow our live blog on Isle of Man Today as the island potentially discovers who will lead its next government, and what direction that government intends to take.

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