Weekend voting

Kildimo

Hi, as a person with a registered vote in one place but working away and unable to get back to vote unless I take a day's holidays, and travel by public transport (train) which costs a lot, could SOMEBODY campaign to change / create a law in the Republic of Ireland which would ensure that all national voting will take place on a Saturday or Sunday, which would mean that students / workers who are away from their registered domain can get back to vote. This shouldn't be too big a problem for our Government, and there is another "plus", they wouldn't have to give school children and teachers in the primary schools being used as voting centres a day off.

Nuttzz

Kildimo wrote: »

Hi, as a person with a registered vote in one place but working away and unable to get back to vote unless I take a day's holidays, and travel by public transport (train) which costs a lot, could SOMEBODY campaign to change / create a law in the Republic of Ireland which would ensure that all national voting will take place on a Saturday or Sunday, which would mean that students / workers who are away from their registered domain can get back to vote. This shouldn't be too big a problem for our Government, and there is another "plus", they wouldn't have to give school children and teachers in the primary schools being used as voting centres a day off.

could that SOMEBODY not be you?

dresden8

Kildimo wrote: »

Hi, as a person with a registered vote in one place but working away and unable to get back to vote unless I take a day's holidays, and travel by public transport (train) which costs a lot, could SOMEBODY campaign to change / create a law in the Republic of Ireland which would ensure that all national voting will take place on a Saturday or Sunday, which would mean that students / workers who are away from their registered domain can get back to vote. This shouldn't be too big a problem for our Government, and there is another "plus", they wouldn't have to give school children and teachers in the primary schools being used as voting centres a day off.

That depends.

If the government feels you and "your type" are more likely to vote yes, rest assured it will be at the weekend.

If not, you can go screw yourself.

Mint Sauce

Kildimo wrote: »

Hi, as a person with a registered vote in one place but working away and unable to get back to vote unless I take a day's holidays, and travel by public transport (train) which costs a lot, could SOMEBODY campaign to change / create a law in the Republic of Ireland which would ensure that all national voting will take place on a Saturday or Sunday, which would mean that students / workers who are away from their registered domain can get back to vote. This shouldn't be too big a problem for our Government, and there is another "plus", they wouldn't have to give school children and teachers in the primary schools being used as voting centres a day off.

or, change your registration, to the town you live in for your work/college

oscarBravo

Split from a Lisbon thread and moved here.

Serenity Now!

Kildimo wrote: »

Hi, as a person with a registered vote in one place but working away and unable to get back to vote unless I take a day's holidays, and travel by public transport (train) which costs a lot, could SOMEBODY campaign to change / create a law in the Republic of Ireland which would ensure that all national voting will take place on a Saturday or Sunday, which would mean that students / workers who are away from their registered domain can get back to vote. This shouldn't be too big a problem for our Government, and there is another "plus", they wouldn't have to give school children and teachers in the primary schools being used as voting centres a day off.

Why don't you register to vote in the area you work?

Guy:Incognito

Do poor students not work weekends anyway to support themselves?

evercloserunion

Stekelly wrote: »

Do poor students not work weekends anyway to support themselves?

Mmhmm, I could skip a lecture to go vote but I wouldn't skip work.

Firetrap

They held something on a Friday a few years ago (can't remember what) and the numbers weren't great. I agree that there should be weekend voting but there doesn't seem to be any appetite for it.

Perhaps there are agendas at work. One theory I've heard is that if it was made easier for students to vote, they'd be going through the radical stage of their lives and vote for the likes of SF and Labour.

I'm renting and I moved my vote. It's put hassle on me - every time I move, I have to move my vote. I'd much rather have my vote back in my home place.

Agent J

You can register in the area you work/study as well as home area.

Nothing illegal about it unless you attempt to use 2 votes.

Failing that. Postal vote.

A mandatory day of voting fixed to 2 of 7 days would just be silly.
I doubt you would get much of a turnout difference. They have tried it before.

Húrin

I agree, voting should be on saturday. As I recall it's usually on thursdays. The reason, of course, is because the people who would be free to get out of college or work on saturday but not thursday would largely vote for left-wing parties rather than FF.

OP, why don't you campaign for it? I'm sick of hearing people say "somebody do something!" It's so Irish, and not in a good way.

nesf

Saturday's aren't good voting days either though, and can play havok with people's plans/holidays/trips away/kids not being at school etc. So it's not a simple panacea. You can change where you are registered to vote, when I was in college it was a simple matter to change my vote to the college constituency and vote there if I couldn't make it back to my parent's home during the week to vote. I really don't think that students are hard done by in this. If there were serious difficulties in changing one's area of registration I'd be far more sympathetic to their cause.

Similarly for people working, they have loads of time to change their vote to somewhere more suitable to their work week.

ninty9er

You work 9-5 in general. Leaving the time between 7 and 9 to vote before going to work and the time between 5 and 10 to vote afterwards, allowing for commuting time that gives approx 5 hours to vote on a normal working day. People who work pay taxes and are more likely to be arsed to go out of their way to vote, whereas students may take it upon themselves to vote or not vote depending on the mood they're in.

It's pointless having weekend voting as it's an inconvenience to people who would not otherwise be passing the polling station on their way to/from work.

Furthermore, students can register for a postal vote (and have been informed NUMEROUS times of this) or move their vote. Those living and working away from home should register where they are living and working.

Problem solved. Leave me to get on with my weekend in peace.