Is government afraid of the student vote?

Bullseye1

Why do they insist on holding it during the week if not to reduce the numbers of students taking it upon themselves to take a day off college in order to vote?

Eliot Rosewater

You don't have to take a day off college to vote. Polling stations are open 'til 10pm, and colleges usually finish early on Fridays. My friends from 2 or 3 hours away will probably be in college on Friday.

It's a different scenario to former elections, held on Thursdays.

TanG411

College isn't an excuse for missing the vote - laziness is.

gandalf

Yep this election is far more student friendly than previous ones as it is being held on a Friday. If you really want to vote then you can get to where you are registered.

johnmcdnl

well it's on a friday and you have until pretty late in the evening to get home to vote so... any student who wants to vote will vote but yes there probably would be a few extra student voters who might vote if it was on a saturday...

if they really were afraid of student voters they'd have had it midweek..

DerangedDreamer wrote: »

College isn't an excuse for missing the vote - laziness is.

mandatory lectures in Dublin at 4-6 on a Wednesday evening + Mandatory lecture Thursday at 9am isn't laziness - it's putting your education first...
even without the mandatory some students might actually want to go to a lecture...

add then the 20 odd euro it costs for buses home just to vote.. (insert the "students don't have money arguement")

having it on the Friday does mean that laziness is the only reason why students won't vote this time round though

femur61

Its on a Friday and polling stations open till 10pm

freyners

it will probably put out a fair few students alright, i know a couple going to ul who live in donegal/cavan who probably wont make the 10 o clock deadline, same for people who live in dublin for work and go home on weekends

but tbh this has been going on for ages, i believe the last GE was a thursday, you can register to vote in the constituency your living in for college so if people were really interested they could have filed a change of address or apply for a postal vote for their home constituency

Tiddlers

I don't think it's students that will miss out on this vote but working people living away from 'home' who haven't transferred their vote.Maybe it's just me and a few others I know but many people will be finishing work 5.30/6. A combination of commuting and Friday evening traffic may result in many people arriving after polling stations close.

nesf

freyners wrote: »

it will probably put out a fair few students alright, i know a couple going to ul who live in donegal/cavan who probably wont make the 10 o clock deadline, same for people who live in dublin for work and go home on weekends

They can transfer their vote pretty easily to their college's constituency. I don't have a huge amount of sympathy really. I know in UCC they made it extremely easy for people to transfer their vote to Cork South Central.

Cool Mo D

College students can get a postal vote too, if they wish.

freyners

nesf wrote: »

They can transfer their vote pretty easily to their college's constituency. I don't have a huge amount of sympathy really. I know in UCC they made it extremely easy for people to transfer their vote to Cork South Central.

yes, which is exactly what i said if you read all of my post:D

liveline

freyners wrote: »

it will probably put out a fair few students alright, i know a couple going to ul who live in donegal/cavan who probably wont make the 10 o clock deadline

Students are so diligent these days. I would have just skipped the lectures.

freyners

liveline wrote: »

Students are so diligent these days. I would have just skipped the lectures.

truth, but some do have tutorials/lectures on late that you lose marks in if not attended.
again, as i said in the original, if they really, cared, the elections have all been held recently midweek, they could have transferred the vote to avoid it

nesf

freyners wrote: »

yes, which is exactly what i said if you read all of my post:D

Your edit addition wasn't there when I quoted you to reply.

freyners

nesf wrote: »

Your edit addition wasn't there when I quoted you to reply.

the only thing i edited was the spelling of one word, it was there.

nesf

freyners wrote: »

the only thing i edited was the spelling of one word, it was there.

Then I'm going blind in my young age.

freyners

nesf wrote: »

Then I'm going blind in my young age.

It affects us all

thetonynator

Heard a poll quoted on the radio yesterday taken in 3 universities, said 70% of students plan to vote on friday . . .seems very high but clearly interest is high this time!!!

Duke Leonal Felmet

You should register where you currently reside, not where you bring your dirty laundry.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Also the majority of student either finish early on a friday or have the day off. Probably just med/engineering students etc will have a full day

I'm doing a science degree and in first year finished at 1pm on a friday for the first semester, the day off for second semester. 2nd year other way around - off the first semester, early morning lectures the second.

Open til 10pm, no excuses, for the minority who genuinely couldn't, say live in Kerry but study in Derry, should get a postal vote