May general elections

esperanza

Am I correct in thinking the Irish general elections are taking place on Thursday May 17th? I still haven't registered to vote. When is the latest date I should do this by?

ballooba

There's a sticky:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055006046

Latest is 14 days before polling date. Which has not been announced.

Múinteoir

esperanza wrote:

Am I correct in thinking the Irish general elections are taking place on Thursday May 17th? I still haven't registered to vote. When is the latest date I should do this by?

That's the most likely date, but that's only speculation. It could be as late as June, or it could be called for three weeks from tomorrow if Bertie feels it's time. Register as soon as possible or you'll only have yourself to blame for loosing your voice.

is_that_so

There was a piece in the Irish Times yesterday by Noel Whelan which also suggested May - May 17/18 or May 24/25. (Sorry I only have print version so can't link)

The reasoning he suggests against June

Exams
Holiday Season coming up

I am going for mid May as there are a few things with legislation that the Government needs to do.
With week after next a write off and then only a couple of weeks to Easter/May bank holiday not far away they need to give themselves a reasonable run-in period. I also have a sneaking suspicion that they are holding onto some good "announcements" for the campaign.

esperanza

is_that_so wrote:

There was a piece in the Irish Times yesterday by Noel Whelan which also suggested May - May 17/18 or May 24/25. (Sorry I only have print version so can't link)

The reasoning he suggests against June

Exams
Holiday Season coming up

I am going for mid May as there are a few things with legislation that the Government needs to do.
With week after next a write off and then only a couple of weeks to Easter/May bank holiday not far away they need to give themselves a reasonable run-in period. I also have a sneaking suspicion that they are holding onto some good "announcements" for the campaign.

Thanks for that. Since it was May 17 in 2002 (Ascension tHursday??). Given it's a public holiday (not for everyone , i suppose), people would have more time to go and vote. I hope it's going to be that day as I am booking a flight to come home to vote... Apparently I can't vote from another EU country.

Chakar

Well be prepared to change your flights you'll have three weeks from the announcement by the Taoiseach that he will dissolve the 29th Dail.

DoubleJoe7

is_that_so wrote:

There was a piece in the Irish Times yesterday by Noel Whelan which also suggested May - May 17/18 or May 24/25. (Sorry I only have print version so can't link)

The reasoning he suggests against June

Exams
Holiday Season coming up

I am going for mid May as there are a few things with legislation that the Government needs to do.
With week after next a write off and then only a couple of weeks to Easter/May bank holiday not far away they need to give themselves a reasonable run-in period. I also have a sneaking suspicion that they are holding onto some good "announcements" for the campaign.

But Thrid Level exams are in May

is_that_so

DoubleJoe7 wrote:

But Thrid Level exams are in May

Sorry I meant Public exams - Junior and Leaving Cert exams - which implies some disruption to school premises that are commonly used as polling stations. The thinking is that June is an unlikely date because of this.
It's the kind of thing that would end up on Whine line.

Chakar

Its a pity alright that the election is in May, because of the exams I won't be able to canvass for FF.

But sure I can do loads of canvassing before then.:)

DMC

The trend in recent times is to have the election on a Friday.

11th or 18th of May, is my reckoning.

Glenbhoy

I was told May 18 too - so the students will be able to vote at home.

upmeath

is_that_so wrote:

There was a piece in the Irish Times yesterday by Noel Whelan which also suggested May - May 17/18 or May 24/25. (Sorry I only have print version so can't link)

The reasoning he suggests against June

Exams
Holiday Season coming up

What a load of ball/ox, the only exams that take place in June are the LC and JC, there might be 25% of the 50,000 sitting the LC who are 18 and WILLING to vote, while the NUI exams ALL TAKE PLACE IN MAY, and I don't think I'm being irrational when I say that University students are much more likely to vote than 6th years. I was a Leaving Cert student in 05, myself and all my schoolmates have all become much more opinionated and politically motivated since leaving school. I've known my political stance since I was 12 or 13 years of age, but we only begin to think we can change things when we're 19/20. Having the GE in May isolates TENS OF THOUSANDS of college and university students living away from home who are without reasonable doubt much more likely to vote than the fraction of LC students who are actually registered to vote and willing to exercise their voting rights.
And to suggest that the number of teachers supervising exams outside their constituency makes up the deficit and justifies it being held in May is also a load of crap, I was an attendant on LC exams in 04 in a school in Trim, the teachers supervising the exams were all from within the Meath West constituency, most coming from Navan, Mullingar or Kells.

is_that_so

upmeath wrote:

What a load of ball/ox,

Be civil. The suggestion has more to do with possible disruption of venues, do read my posts properly.

upmeath

is_that_so wrote:

Be civil.

is_that_so, excuse my aggression.
It really frustrates me though, in almost all other European countries elections are held at weekends to facilitate those who are elsewhere on weekdays, why can't the same be done for us?
The school halls used for state exams in June aren't being used on Saturdays. It's all very Irish really, isn't it?

is_that_so

upmeath wrote:

is_that_so, excuse my aggression.
It really frustrates me though, in almost all other European countries elections are held at weekends to facilitate those who are elsewhere on weekdays, why can't the same be done for us?
The school halls used for state exams in June aren't being used on Saturdays. It's all very Irish really, isn't it?

I agree 100% with you there. A nice sunny Sunday would keep us out of the shopping centres.

Our man in Havana

What is the latest date possible under the law the dail must be disolved?

Glenbhoy

Is it possible to de-register after the election? Just curious as someone was asking me that recently, basically she wants to vote, but does not want to be on the electoral roll.

Our man in Havana

You can't have it both ways.

ballooba

Glenbhoy wrote:

Is it possible to de-register after the election? Just curious as someone was asking me that recently, basically she wants to vote, but does not want to be on the electoral roll.

Why would she want to do that?

Jury duty is easy to get out of, if you don't want to do it.
Direct mail is not a problem with the edited register.

Our man in Havana

What if they ever introduce a poll tax? You wouldn't want to be registered then.

ballooba

Bond-007 wrote:

What if they ever introduce a poll tax? You wouldn't want to be registered then.

Wouldn't put it past them (FF/PD) tbh.

Glenbhoy

ballooba wrote:

Why would she want to do that?

Jury duty is easy to get out of, if you don't want to do it.
Direct mail is not a problem with the edited register.

Yeah, jury duty is the problem - she's self employed, knows numerous people who've been called and it could cost her a lot of money if she was caught up in the wrong trial - and from looking at the legislation, she doesn't see how she'd get out of it. Some may call her selfish, but I see where she's coming from, maybe the problem is with jury duty being an unpaid civic duty.

ballooba

Glenbhoy wrote:

Yeah, jury duty is the problem - she's self employed, knows numerous people who've been called and it could cost her a lot of money if she was caught up in the wrong trial - and from looking at the legislation, she doesn't see how she'd get out of it. Some may call her selfish, but I see where she's coming from, maybe the problem is with jury duty being an unpaid civic duty.

Jury duty is very very easy to get out of. Especially if you are self employed.

One way is to tell them you will be out of the country on business.

is_that_so

It looks like a Thursday based on what Bertie said today. He doesn't like Fridays, bless him, which probably puts the 17th May into play.

brianthebard

esperanza wrote:

Thanks for that. Since it was May 17 in 2002 (Ascension tHursday??). Given it's a public holiday (not for everyone , i suppose), people would have more time to go and vote. I hope it's going to be that day as I am booking a flight to come home to vote... Apparently I can't vote from another EU country.

I thought it was possible to use a postal vote? What about people in the army et al who will be abroad for the elections? they need a way to vote.

Our man in Havana

Army and diplomatic staff overseas may vote by post. Otherwise postal votes are restricted to those resident in Ireland.

RainyDay

ballooba wrote:

Jury duty is very very easy to get out of. Especially if you are self employed.

One way is to tell them you will be out of the country on business.

Be prepared to show your plane ticket. They're not idiots.

Our man in Havana

Or simply register as UK citizen. Jury duty will never be an issue again and you still get to vote.

The_Minister

ballooba wrote:

Wouldn't put it past them (FF/PD) tbh.

What kind of rubbish are you spouting now?
Fianna Fail or the Progessive Democrats, or any other party would never bring in a poll tax.
Even if they did, I'd bet the Supreme Court of Europe would strike it down.

ballooba

The_Minister wrote:

What kind of rubbish are you spouting now?
Fianna Fail or the Progessive Democrats, or any other party would never bring in a poll tax.
Even if they did, I'd bet the Supreme Court of Europe would strike it down.

It was a tongue in cheek remark. I forgot the smilie. Sorry.

It was meant in the context of stealth taxes.

Trotter

My guess is the 31st May because Bertie will use the feel good factor of the oncoming bank holiday weekend as a psychological "thinks aren't that bad at all" tool.

Things are much closer to the wire this time around than they were in the previous election. Why wouldnt he use every tool at his disposal.