Wittnessed TD Pulling A Fast One. What To Do???

BullSWD

I saw a TD and now candidate running in General Election 2011 pull a fast one recently. Basically he brought a big pile of Voter Registration Forms to a building and got someone to witness them all even though the new voters were not present. No ID, no person, nothing! To me this is gross corruption however do not know if its worth the hassle saying anything about it! Any ideas??

giz_a_job

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"
-> Edmund Burke (1729-1797), an Irish political philosopher.

Oh man you gotta shout about that, its disgraceful.
We all take the line to often, "is it worth it", hence FF were left so long to ruin this country.
Regardless when party your canditate is from, its the principle.

DO IT !!

steelcityblues

Report this to a Guard who you are fairly sure isn't in the pocket of said TD!

spank_inferno

Indeed, contact the electoral commision, but as they will probably only deal with it post-election, your local media would probably be happy to assist.

Just be very sure on what you saw & have the confidence to stand up for whats right!

medici

We've been too submissive in this country when it comes to tackling our leaders in the way that you're in a position to do so now.

I say go to the local media too

Victor

BullSWD wrote: »

I saw a TD and now candidate running in General Election 2011 pull a fast one recently. Basically he brought a big pile of Voter Registration Forms to a building and got someone to witness them all even though the new voters were not present. No ID, no person, nothing! To me this is gross corruption however do not know if its worth the hassle saying anything about it! Any ideas??

Do you want to explain this properly?

"new voters were not present" - do you meant these people were out for the day or that they didn't exist?

telekon

I would normally ask to 'name and shame' but unfortunately noone can be trusted off here during election season...

WilcoOut

what crime has he committed in fairness?

he is just registering some local people who prob went to him seeking his help to get registered

if anything he should be commended for enrolling people in the democratic process

it would be a crime if it were their ballot papers he was forging!

Wexford1798

BullSWD wrote: »

I saw a TD and now candidate running in General Election 2011 pull a fast one recently. Basically he brought a big pile of Voter Registration Forms to a building and got someone to witness them all even though the new voters were not present. No ID, no person, nothing! To me this is gross corruption however do not know if its worth the hassle saying anything about it! Any ideas??

Here is a link to the form.
http://www.wexford.ie/wex/Departments/Franchise/RegisterofElectors/Forms/Thefile,8171,en.pdf

The only person who can witness the form is a Garda. You must fill out the form or get somebody else to fill it out for you (in case of illiteracy). Then you must present the completed form in person at your local Garda Station with proof of identity. The Garda will then sign and stamp the form.

Wolfe Tone

Or comissioner of oaths

BullSWD

Victor wrote: »

Do you want to explain this properly?

"new voters were not present" - do you meant these people were out for the day or that they didn't exist?

The persons on the new registration form were not present to have signatures witnessed. After that I dont know if they exist or not.

subway

we get people calling to the door once a year to "check the register"
i just tell them the names of whoever is over 18 and they look after it.

no garda present etc and im fairly sure they arent a commisioner for oaths.
all TDs will register voters coming up to an election

mayotom

NAME AND SHAME

Craebear

Do the right thing OP.

wow sierra

I reckon the Politician is doing these people a favour and I would be shocked if the people didn't exist and didn't live at the address on the form.

I think it is very important that people vote and if they get a bit of encouragement and help to do so by a politician I am all for it.

I doubt very much that there was anything underhand involved.

HarryPotter41

As said above, every TD does this, there is nothing underhand being done as such, people drop into offices or fill in forms in their home and the rest is done by the TD or candidates people.

It is getting people on to the register who otherwise would not be on it and would not be able to exercise their right to vote. If thats an issue for you then sure, shout it from the rooftops. But its a complete over reaction.

Adrian009

BullSWD wrote: »

I saw a TD and now candidate running in General Election 2011 pull a fast one recently. Basically he brought a big pile of Voter Registration Forms to a building and got someone to witness them all even though the new voters were not present. No ID, no person, nothing! To me this is gross corruption however do not know if its worth the hassle saying anything about it! Any ideas??

Report the f****r! The last thing we need is yet another criminal in the Dail! Just when we were getting rid of FF ....

Seloth

Tbh I unless there are some clear corrupt intentions I dont see a problem.

People have the right to vote and may have missed out on the chance to register.

Now if there are corrupt intension's then this is wrong,But as I said above as did others probably just helping out.

SugarHigh

The new voters don't have to be present afaik. I printed the form of the internet and got my brother to drop it in when he was passing the council.

Isn't the TD just doing the same thing?

Adrian009

Seloth wrote: »

Tbh I unless there are some clear corrupt intentions I dont see a problem.

People have the right to vote and may have missed out on the chance to register.

Now if there are corrupt intension's then this is wrong,But as I said above as did others probably just helping out.

Yeah but better err on the side of caution. If you think he did something wrong, report him. We cannot afford anymore gombeens.

SugarHigh

SugarHigh wrote: »

The new voters don't have to be present afaik. I printed the form of the internet and got my brother to drop it in when he was passing the council.

Isn't the TD just doing the same thing?

That is correct.

wandatowell

Got with your gut instinct OP

wow sierra

I have no idea what party this politician is from but I would appeal to the OP to do nothing.

It is unlikely that the actual papers involved could be traced anyway - I am sure a candidate, and the council workers, will have more important things to do than to attempt to locate them based on your evidence. Do you expect them to remember which ones were handed in at that time? And what then? You celebrate while the people involved lose their right to vote???

I can't quite get what huge injustice you seem to think is happening here??

NewHillel

wow sierra wrote: »

I have no idea what party this politician is from but I would appeal to the OP to do nothing.

It is unlikely that the actual papers involved could be traced anyway - I am sure a candidate, and the council workers, will have more important things to do than to attempt to locate them based on your evidence. Do you expect them to remember which ones were handed in at that time? And what then? You celebrate while the people involved lose their right to vote???

I can't quite get what huge injustice you seem to think is happening here??

As a scam, if this is what it is, its simple, really. People who are not in a position to vote are, unbeknownst to themselves, registered. A "reliable" person then votes on their behalf.

To the OP, report this, if the TD in question was doing no wrong then there's no issue. If he was, given our new political climate, he just might be brought to account. One can only hope.

takun

There is probably nothing wrong, but only probably. Although it's almost certainly within the letter of the law, it's just another one of those things politicians to give people the feeling that they somehow 'own' their vote. They can't be sure that when the 'sort someone out' like this, that person will vote for them, but there is probably a fairly high chance.

That said, my father who is both elderly (in his 90s) and contrary has accepted a lift to the polling station from FF for at least the last two general elections plus a few local elections, and probably will again this time. He has never however voted for them. It gives him an enormous amount of pleasure.

kincsem

A Polling Information card was put in my letterbox today, presumably by the postman.

The name on the card is not my name, it is a woman's name (I am male). I have never heard of the person. And I have not got my Polling card. I bought this house in 1984, I am on the electoral register, and have voted in every election.

kincsem

I checked eReg: Register of Electors Online Enquiries

Someone has registered themselves to vote using my address. I will be at the polling station when it opens on Friday morning and will see if the person tries to vote. I will ask the police to sort it.

Leiva

Seloth wrote: »

Tbh I unless there are some clear corrupt intentions I dont see a problem.

People have the right to vote and may have missed out on the chance to register.

Now if there are corrupt intension's then this is wrong,But as I said above as did others probably just helping out.

Are you for real ??

Let's say it's this scenario ...

Billy is running in the GE .
Billy has many friends who's kids have emigrated or out of the country .
Billy registers these emigrants as eligible to vote .
Billy gets someone to the polling station and vote for him using the vote of people out of the country .

Only one example of many ways to use someones vote .

cyning

mixednuts wrote: »

Are you for real ??

Let's say it's this scenario ...

Billy is running in the GE .
Billy has many friends who's kids have emigrated or out of the country .
Billy registers these emigrants as eligible to vote .
Billy gets someone to the polling station and vote for him using the vote of people out of the country .

Only one example of many ways to use someones vote .

I've had to show photo id every time I've voted... so how would that work? I genuinely thought it was a requirement to show photo id before you vote, so registering people who are out of the country wouldn't work?

HarryPotter41

cyning wrote: »

I've had to show photo id every time I've voted... so how would that work? I genuinely thought it was a requirement to show photo id before you vote, so registering people who are out of the country wouldn't work?

Just notch it down to the usual conspiracy theories that promulgate in this place.

Wexford1798

HarryPotter41 wrote: »

Just notch it down to the usual conspiracy theories that promulgate in this place.

www.Jimcorr.com