Thursday Voting day affects students.

Seloth

Quite recently it was announced that the Irish Presidential election day is to be on a Thursday,with Enda apparently taking a U-turn(Originally against the Thursday and favoring a friday)

This is apparently going to affect thousands of students who live away from home(Myself included),with the USI condemning it and calling for a Friday election.

There is a postal option for voting but apparently most people are unaware of the procedures and deadlines associated with that option.An Electoral study showed that only about 1/4 between the 18-25 age bracket vote,and by making it more difficult this could very much affect results.

How do people feel about this themselves?

This is just a thought but Norris,from the student/Youth votes,He is the most Favored candidate.With many students not being able to reach home to vote he would surely loose out on quite allot of votes and it raises the question,has Kenny realized this and has chosen the Thursday voting day to strengthen the FG vote and weaken Norris's?

amacachi

Tough IMO. Make a choice to work/study somewhere far from "home" and such things come along. Also it should be possible to change your address to whereever you're living at that time.

MyKeyG

amacachi wrote: »

Tough IMO. Make a choice to work/study somewhere far from "home" and such things come along. Also it should be possible to change your address to whereever you're living at that time.

In fairness where you work/study is rarely a choice these days people take what and where they can get.

I think the OP's main beef is that the decision was reversed from the common polling day of Friday to Thursday. Quite frankly it didn't occur to me to change my address when I was away at college in Limerick (Nice treaty x2) or when I worked in Dublin (Lisbon Treaty x2) since there didn't seem a need. That there is now need out of the blue is the issue here.

While you're entitled to your opinion it's a little moot since the government as public servants aren't exactly allowed to take the 'tough titty' approach.

nesf

Eh, change your vote to your college's constituency and vote there. Problem solved.

Pride Fighter

amacachi wrote: »

Tough IMO. Make a choice to work/study somewhere far from "home" and such things come along. Also it should be possible to change your address to whereever you're living at that time.

Tough? That certain individuals cannot vote cause of where they work or study?

I want democracy, and weekend elections are best placed to do this. Why should individuals be left out when central government can change the voting day by 2 days so more people vote?

The more people that vote the better. Maybe you're not a believer in democracy, or that the little people wont make the right decision.

Esel

The government of the day will, imo, always set the polling day to try to maximise their own vote.

Wolfe Tone

Ah thats a bit of a pain! Luckily I don't have that far to go.

markpb

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Tough? That certain individuals cannot vote cause of where they work or study?

I want democracy, and weekend elections are best placed to do this. Why should individuals be left out when central government can change the voting day by 2 days so more people vote?

The more people that vote the better. Maybe you're not a believer in democracy, or that the little people wont make the right decision.

No-one (except you) is stopping you from voting. Register to vote in the district that you live in - beside your college. You spend 5 out of 7 days a week there so that's the natural place to vote.

mdebets

MyKeyG wrote: »

In fairness where you work/study is rarely a choice these days people take what and where they can get.

But it's your choice where you vote.

mickstupp

Seloth wrote: »

This is apparently going to affect thousands of students who live away from home(Myself included),with the USI condemning it and calling for a Friday election.

There is a postal option for voting but apparently most people are unaware of the procedures and deadlines associated with that option.An Electoral study showed that only about 1/4 between the 18-25 age bracket vote,and by making it more difficult this could very much affect results.

How do people feel about this themselves?

Last bunch of elections NUI Maynooth had organised registration in the college for the local constituency. They had a long information campaign running up to registration with a load of people handing out fliers and talking to people in the corridors etc. etc. etc. Everyone knew what was going on and there was a huge turnout as a result. I thought all colleges did this sort of thing? There's no reason a Thursday vote should affect students at all. If they commute, like me, the polls are open late enough. If they stay locally, re-register. It doesn't have to be a big issue. All it takes is for the Students Unions to inform people and give them the opportunity to register locally. Not a big deal.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

nesf wrote: »

Eh, change your vote to your college's constituency and vote there. Problem solved.

It seems that its very easy to do this, and in addition the fact that its a presidential election means it doesn't really what constituency you vote in, your options are the same. In fact I'm sorry I didn't move my vote from Mayo to Galway West before the General Election.

nesf

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

It seems that its very easy to do this, and in addition the fact that its a presidential election means it doesn't really what constituency you vote in, your options are the same. In fact I'm sorry I didn't move my vote from Mayo to Galway West before the General Election.

From what I remember it's just a matter of calling to the local Garda station, though that memory is 8 or 9 years old so I may be wrong.

oscarBravo

Seloth wrote: »

There is a postal option for voting but apparently most people are unaware of the procedures and deadlines associated with that option.

Perhaps they should make an effort to find out. It's not a state secret.

Alopex

Ok as much as I'd say students should just take a day off college or have their address moved, having this election on a thursday is a bit f*cking convenient for both Labour and Fine Gael, given Norris is the public's highest rated prospective candidate, and particularly popular with young people.

Weren't both these parties screaming from the rooftops when FF chose to have elections on days that didn't suit students? Shower of hypocrites. Expect as much from Fine Gael, but Labour are really showing their true colours now.

Why is there no postal voting allowed? So many Irish in the UK between people working in England, and students in Northern Ireland.

Edit: appears there is a postal vote. I'd assumed it would be the same as a GE. Will check this out, thanks

cython

Alopex wrote: »

Ok as much as I'd say students should just take a day off college or have their address moved, having this election on a thursday is a bit f*cking convenient for both Labour and Fine Gael, given Norris is the public's highest rated prospective candidate, and particularly popular with young people.

Weren't both these parties screaming from the rooftops when FF chose to have elections on days that didn't suit students? Shower of hypocrites. Expect as much from Fine Gael, but Labour are really showing their true colours now.

Why is there no postal voting allowed? So many Irish in the UK between people working in England, and students in Northern Ireland.

Edit: appears there is a postal vote. I'd assumed it would be the same as a GE. Will check this out, thanks

It is the same as a GE, there is a postal voters' list for any election or referendum

Alopex

cython wrote: »

It is the same as a GE, there is a postal voters' list for any election or referendum

Ah so its a postal vote for a very specific list of people. Load of cock. Assumedly UK colleges aren't covered?

nuac

Voting should be on a Saturday - suits most people.

Just make sure when you change your vote it doesn't end up like the last one:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=70669658

Merch

if voting in the constituency where you reside isnt compulsory, then it should be.
apart from the fact that, it is where issues that affect you and where you spend most of your time, there is the problem of morons going back home to support who their family looks after or did them favours.
No one is stopping anyone from voting, it would be better on a friday, it is stupid and it is annoying playing around with it to get the best out of the election without considering the electorate. having worked with idiots in the past that always insisted on being allowed to go home to vote and have others take up the slack so they can support their local gombeen, but In this case that does not apply

edit voting should be over a weekend, one day may not suit everyone, unless its from 00.01 to 23.59

also postal voting is allowed only for certain people, army garda etc

bijapos

MyKeyG wrote: »

. That there is now need out of the blue is the issue here.

Everyone now has three months notice to either organise a postal vote or change their vote from one electoral area to another. No excuses.

I agree with a poster above that its a sly, senseless move by the government to change polling days from a Friday to a Thursday. Have they given any reason for this?

It personally doesn't affect me but there are plenty of people who work on contact Mon-Fri somewhere, and return home on a Friday evening. It doesn't make things easy for them. The government should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder.

They could do this by opening a polling box in a central place such as a court or town hall in each constituency for a few days before the election (as happens in Germany) and make postal voting far easier than it already is.

They should also consider that for this election be it predidential or referendum it doesn't matter where people vote its how they vote. maybe they should consider a sytem to make it more flexible for people to vote anywhere.

cython

Alopex wrote: »

Ah so its a postal vote for a very specific list of people. Load of cock. Assumedly UK colleges aren't covered?

that same page wrote:

If you are an Irish citizen living abroad you cannot be entered on the Register of electors. This means that you cannot vote in an election or referendum here in Ireland. (The only exception to this is in the case of Irish officials on duty abroad (and their spouses) who may register on the postal voters list).

A requirement of being on the register is that you are ordinarily resident in Ireland. Now unless you are travelling back and forth every weekend, it seems unlikely that as a student abroad, you would satisfy the normal criteria for "ordinary residence", which, IIRC, is spending over half the days of the year or something like that.

As for it being a very specific list, what is specified there covers a lot of people, and I can't think of any situations off the top of my head that would necessitate a postal vote that are neither listed there, nor previously excluded by some other criteria.

Additionally, as far as students are concerned, I can see that they may have an interest in voting in their home constituency for the likes of Dáil and Local Authority elections, given that they may class their representation as being there, but for a Presidential election or referendum where everyone's votes are pooled together, their vote carries the same weight and worth in their college constituency as it does in their home constituency, so I don't see the issue with moving it for this.

oscarBravo

Merch wrote: »

also postal voting is allowed only for certain people, army garda etc

...and students.

anymore

Seloth wrote: »

Quite recently it was announced that the Irish Presidential election day is to be on a Thursday,with Enda apparently taking a U-turn(Originally against the Thursday and favoring a friday)

This is apparently going to affect thousands of students who live away from home(Myself included),with the USI condemning it and calling for a Friday election.

There is a postal option for voting but apparently most people are unaware of the procedures and deadlines associated with that option.An Electoral study showed that only about 1/4 between the 18-25 age bracket vote,and by making it more difficult this could very much affect results.

How do people feel about this themselves?

This is just a thought but Norris,from the student/Youth votes,He is the most Favored candidate.With many students not being able to reach home to vote he would surely loose out on quite allot of votes and it raises the question,has Kenny realized this and has chosen the Thursday voting day to strengthen the FG vote and weaken Norris's?

If third level students cant work out for themselves the situation as regards postal vote options, why are we wasting money trying to educate them ??

Alopex

cython wrote: »

A requirement of being on the register is that you are ordinarily resident in Ireland. Now unless you are travelling back and forth every weekend, it seems unlikely that as a student abroad, you would satisfy the normal criteria for "ordinary residence", which, IIRC, is spending over half the days of the year or something like that.

As for it being a very specific list, what is specified there covers a lot of people, and I can't think of any situations off the top of my head that would necessitate a postal vote that are neither listed there, nor previously excluded by some other criteria.

Its not very unlikely considering thousands of students are in UK colleges on this this island. Many in fact do regularly go home for the weekend from Queens/Jordanstown University etc

On top of that, its silly that someone in a college in England of Scotland is not considered an ordinary resident, just because they spend approx 7 months a year over there for three years of their life. Most western nations allow all their citizens to vote regarldless of where they are.

Additionally, as far as students are concerned, I can see that they may have an interest in voting in their home constituency for the likes of Dáil and Local Authority elections, given that they may class their representation as being there, but for a Presidential election or referendum where everyone's votes are pooled together, their vote carries the same weight and worth in their college constituency as it does in their home constituency, so I don't see the issue with moving it for this.

They may want to stay registered at their home constituency should there be a bye-election or even general election called.

For example if someone starting university last september moved their voting address to their university, then couldn't have taken part in their own constituency for the GE.

Merch

oscarBravo wrote: »

...and students.

well thats the OPs complaint sorted then
&
@ anymore you'd think they could but too busy doing other stuff, ie wasting time and going on the piss

cython

Alopex wrote: »

Its not very unlikely considering thousands of students are in UK colleges on this this island. Many in fact do regularly go home for the weekend from Queens/Jordanstown University etc

Apologies, I didn't factor this in.

Alopex wrote: »

On top of that, its silly that someone in a college in England of Scotland is not considered an ordinary resident, just because they spend approx 7 months a year over there for three years of their life. Most western nations allow all their citizens to vote regarldless of where they are.

Talk to your TD, as the only way that will get changed is through legislation.

Alopex wrote: »

They may want to stay registered at their home constituency should there be a bye-election or even general election called.

For example if someone starting university last september moved their voting address to their university, then couldn't have taken part in their own constituency for the GE.

That is part of what the supplement to the register is for. Generally any election will be announced more than 15 working days in advance, which is the time ahead of the election that you need to return the form to have your vote moved. So to say they couldn't have taken part in their own constituency is, quite frankly, rubbish. You might as well say that anyone moving house gives up their right to vote until the next register comes into effect!

markpb

Alopex wrote: »

On top of that, its silly that someone in a college in England of Scotland is not considered an ordinary resident, just because they spend approx 7 months a year over there for three years of their life. [...] They may want to stay registered at their home constituency should there be a bye-election or even general election called.

If they spend 5 days a week and/or 7 months a year living somewhere else, they should register in that district. If that district is outside of Ireland, they're not ordinarily resident in Ireland. If they go back to the same area after college, they can change their vote back there.

For example if someone starting university last september moved their voting address to their university, then couldn't have taken part in their own constituency for the GE.

So what? Vote where you actually live, not where you support your GAA team.

irishh_bob

Seloth wrote: »

Quite recently it was announced that the Irish Presidential election day is to be on a Thursday,with Enda apparently taking a U-turn(Originally against the Thursday and favoring a friday)

This is apparently going to affect thousands of students who live away from home(Myself included),with the USI condemning it and calling for a Friday election.

There is a postal option for voting but apparently most people are unaware of the procedures and deadlines associated with that option.An Electoral study showed that only about 1/4 between the 18-25 age bracket vote,and by making it more difficult this could very much affect results.

How do people feel about this themselves?

This is just a thought but Norris,from the student/Youth votes,He is the most Favored candidate.With many students not being able to reach home to vote he would surely loose out on quite allot of votes and it raises the question,has Kenny realized this and has chosen the Thursday voting day to strengthen the FG vote and weaken Norris's?

been hearing this nonesense for years , ireland isnt russia , its a small country where the furthest anyone ever is from home is a three or four hour bus - train ride , if voting is important enough for you , you can always take the day off college

Alopex

irishh_bob wrote: »

been hearing this nonesense for years , ireland isnt russia , its a small country where the furthest anyone ever is from home is a three or four hour bus - train ride , if voting is important enough for you , you can always take the day off college

Untrue. our rail/bus network is not that advanced. Plenty of people from Dublin and further south go to the two universities in londonderry. That's generally a 5 hour trip because you'll be waiting in belfast for a connection. Even longer if you're not from Dublin.

So whilst you would have a point if the election was on a friday, having it on a thursday means 2days off for a lot of people.

Sierra Oscar

In the last Dail Enda Kenny put down a private members bill which wanted to ban elections on any other day but a Friday, Saturday or Sunday in response to the government of the time trying to hold a vote on a Thursday.

What a fucking hypocrite.

Our Bill would ensure weekend voting - Bailey

"Fine Gael's Electoral (Amendment) (No 2) Bill states clearly that elections shall only be permitted on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays. The prospect of thousands of students and young professionals, who must travel home to their constituencies to vote, being unable to do so will be avoided if the Bill is passed into law.

Lol. The "EU/IMF" bailout hardly forces the government to hold an election on a Thursday, does it? Im expecting some backbencher to come out with that line today. :rolleyes:

RandolphEsq

You should not have to take the day off college or work. A Saturday or Sunday suits the vast majority of people. It also takes away from the after-work rush of people coming to vote as it is a steady flow throughout the day. Having it on Thursday is such a silly idea!

View

Seloth wrote: »

Quite recently it was announced that the Irish Presidential election day is to be on a Thursday,with Enda apparently taking a U-turn(Originally against the Thursday and favoring a friday)

This is apparently going to affect thousands of students who live away from home(Myself included),with the USI condemning it and calling for a Friday election.

There is a postal option for voting but apparently most people are unaware of the procedures and deadlines associated with that option.An Electoral study showed that only about 1/4 between the 18-25 age bracket vote,and by making it more difficult this could very much affect results.

How do people feel about this themselves?

This is just a thought but Norris,from the student/Youth votes,He is the most Favored candidate.With many students not being able to reach home to vote he would surely loose out on quite allot of votes and it raises the question,has Kenny realized this and has chosen the Thursday voting day to strengthen the FG vote and weaken Norris's?

Home is where you live, not where your Mammy lives.

You (should) have plenty of time to register in the constituency you actually do live in given that the election is months away.

Sierra Oscar

View wrote: »

Home is where you live, not where your Mammy lives.

You (should) have plenty of time to register in the constituency you actually do live in given that the election is months away.

Most universities actually usually only have an academic year totaling five months. Going by your logic (where home is actually where you spend the majority of your time) - on a year by year basis for most people home would probably not be their college residence but in fact their homeplace.

Answer me this "View", what are the benefits of holding an election on Thursday rather than a weekend day? Can you answer that question?

View

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Most universities actually usually only have an academic year totaling five months. Going by your logic (where home is actually where you spend the majority of your time) - on a year by year basis for most people home would probably not be their college residence but in fact their homeplace.

Well, taking a quick random sample:

NUIG Academic Year 2011-2012 - Teaching begins September 5th, Examinations end May 18th. Or 8.5 months out of 12 in other words.

The fact that you go home on holidays for the Weekends, Christmas or Easter from your College Residence doesn't alter where you live.

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Answer me this "View", what are the benefits of holding an election on Thursday rather than a weekend day? Can you answer that question?

It is convenient for the vast majority of citizens in the state who are registered where they live. They can plan to go away for the weekend(s) should they so choose. There is no obvious reason why they should be inconvenienced for the benefit of people who choose not to register where they do live.

Alopex

View wrote: »

Well, taking a quick random sample:

NUIG Academic Year 2011-2012 - Teaching begins September 5th, Examinations end May 18th. Or 8.5 months out of 12 in other words.

The fact that you go home on holidays for the Weekends, Christmas or Easter from your College Residence doesn't alter where you live.

Find that very difficult to believe. Maybe first years come to register on the 5th of september but I guarantee you most people do not start classes that early.

You're also leaving out the huge christmas/january/easter holiday periods. If they spend those times at home and the total time is more than that spent at their university address, then they live at home.

Most peopel will also go home between end of term and beginning of exams

Here's a link to university of ulster's timetable. Their semester 2 is only 14 weeks. I cannot confirm with a link but I believe semester 1 is something similar.

http://uuestates05.edsc.ulst.ac.uk:8002/Col_Sem2/ctuindex.htm

Seloth

I' actually really surprised by some peoples replies tha t sem to be almost defending this.

1.Voting needs to be encouraged in young people.By making it more difficult there will be a loss of interest.

If third level students cant work out for themselves the situation as regards postal vote options, why are we wasting money trying to educate them ??

2.Because a student doesn't know how to register for postal vote does not make them stupid.The state paying for their eduation has nothing to do with how the electoral system works.

3.The inconvenience of having to change your constituency should not have to be put in place towards people such as students to vote.

4.5 months of the year is spent away in College..Not 7 O_o.And even if it were 7 you have to remember we are not grown adults who have re-located as of work.We are away temporarily from home on education.

5.As for the Russian thing...Voting is important to me but I should'nt have to take a 3 hour bus ride down paying 24 euro for a return ticket and then 3 hours back just to vote.

Why are people defending this?It only makes the voting process more difficult for the people then it needs to be(While also showing the hypocrisy of Kenny)

View

Seloth wrote: »

And even if it were 7 you have to remember we are not grown adults who have re-located as of work.

You are a "grown up adult" when you reach your majority on your 18th birthday. Every other adult in the state has to face the responsibility of ensuring that they are registered on their local electoral register in order to qualify for/retain their vote, there is no reason why students should be treated as "children with voting rights".

In this case, after all, the votes cast go towards an overall state-wide total count, so all voters will face the exact same ballot irrespective of which polling booth they cast their votes in.

Seloth

View wrote: »

You are a "grown up adult" when you reach your majority on your 18th birthday. Every other adult in the state has to face the responsibility of ensuring that they are registered on their local electoral register in order to qualify for/retain their vote, there is no reason why students should be treated as "children with voting rights".

In this case, after all, the votes cast go towards an overall state-wide total count, so all voters will face the exact same ballot irrespective of which polling booth they cast their votes in.

You are a legal adult at 18.At 19 going on the 20 culturally I am not seen as an adult nor are most of my fellow students.Even the UN states how a person is classified as youth till they are 24.

You also have to remember that as a Youth or adolescent things are very different for us then as a working adult.Plenty will vote if it is on the friday or weekend but if its on a thursday and all these difficulties are put in place there will be a huge drop from the youth vote.That is both unfair against students, stopping a democratic process and discouraging people to vote,causing a view that politics isnt important.

And while that may be the case,people have to return home to vote.If there were national level polling stations then this wouldnt be the problem but there arent.

View

Seloth wrote: »

You are a legal adult at 18.

Correct and with legal adulthood comes adult responsibilities.

Students might garner public sympathy were they to campaign for polling booths to be places in their colleges so registered students at the college could cast their ballots in the election in October (With some safeguards to limit double-voting ideally).

Asking that a polling date be changed as you want to travel 50/100/150 Kms back to your parents to cast a ballot which will look exactly identical to the ballot you'd cast at the closest polling booth to your college residence - were you to take the trouble to fill out the voting form for your address there - just makes students look stupid and is unlikely to ever get a sympathetic response from the wider voting public (most of whom have never had the opportunity to go to college remember).

oscarBravo

View wrote: »

Asking that a polling date be changed as you want to travel 50/100/150 Kms back to your parents to cast a ballot which will look exactly identical to the ballot you'd cast at the closest polling booth to your college residence - were you to take the trouble to fill out the voting form for your address there - just makes students look stupid and is unlikely to ever get a sympathetic response from the wider voting public (most of whom have never had the opportunity to go to college remember).

Particularly when the whole question is moot, given that students can register for postal votes.

Annasopra

nesf wrote: »

Eh, change your vote to your college's constituency and vote there. Problem solved.

What if you've just done your leaving cert and don't know where your college will be?

Annasopra

Seloth wrote: »

There is a postal option for voting but apparently most people are unaware of the procedures and deadlines associated with that option.

Postal Voters List
You will normally be required to vote in person at an official voting centre but you may be eligible for a postal vote if you are:

An Irish diplomat or his/her spouse posted abroad
A member of the Garda Síochána
A whole-time member of the Defence Forces.
You may also be eligible for a postal vote if you cannot go to a polling station because:

Of a physical illness or disability
You are studying full time at an educational institution in Ireland, which is away from your home address where you are registered
You are unable to vote at your polling station because of your occupation
You are unable to vote at your polling station because you are in prison as a result of an order of a court.
Applications for inclusion on the Postal Voters List must be received by 25 November at the latest.

If you are registered as a postal voter, you may vote by post only. You may not vote at a polling station.

Supplement to the Postal Voters List

If you are eligible for the postal voter list but are not included, you can apply for inclusion in the relevant supplement to the lists.

The latest date for receipt of applications is two days after the date of dissolution of the Dáil in the case of a general election or two days after the order appointing polling day for other elections or referenda.

I think students intending on postal voting should register ASAP

cython

mango salsa wrote: »

What if you've just done your leaving cert and don't know where your college will be?

You still ought to know over a month before this election takes place (mid September would not be unreasonable), in which case you have plenty of time to get on the supplement to the register (form needs to be in 15 working days before the polling date).

Annasopra

cython wrote: »

You still ought to know over a month before this election takes place (mid September would not be unreasonable), in which case you have plenty of time to get on the supplement to the register (form needs to be in 15 working days before the polling date).

Not for a postal vote

The latest date for receipt of applications is two days after the date of dissolution of the Dáil in the case of a general election or two days after the order appointing polling day for other elections or referenda.

nesf

mango salsa wrote: »

What if you've just done your leaving cert and don't know where your college will be?

You can change it quite close to the election date. There should be a drive on at college helping you with the procedure.

hatrickpatrick

Not just to students but to commuters of any kind. Surely it makes more sense for polls to be held at weekends, or at the very least on a Friday, so as the maximum number of people will be able to vote?

Esel

mango salsa wrote: »

I think students intending on postal voting should register ASAP

+1

They should register for postal voting, full stop. Beat Inda at his own game.

/thread

Manic Moran

.Because a student doesn't know how to register for postal vote does not make them stupid.

No, just lazy.

The thing about college is that theoretically it should be teaching them to learn, not to just regurgitate information by rote. How to think, how figure out how to get to there from here. How to do <gasp> research.

I'll try an experiment. I shall try to find out the process for postal voting, I have never postal-voted from my Irish home, Dublin South, and never looked up this info before

It is now... 20:32....

[...]

20:33: I have found this page.
http://corporateservices.southdublin.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=137&Itemid=104

[...]
20:35. After typing the above, I have found the appropriate form, PVS2:
http://corporateservices.southdublin.ie/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=341

Seriously, how hard is that? Total expended time, four minutes.

And it should be added that I'm currently typing from a US Air Force Base in Nevada. If someone in the country can't figure it out, maybe it's better that they don't vote.

NTM

Manic Moran

Surely it makes more sense for polls to be held at weekends, or at the very least on a Friday, so as the maximum number of people will be able to vote?

I don't know about you, but most of my weekends away and holidays tend to be on weekends. Much harder for me to change my vacation plans than to take ten minutes off work.

NTM

Merch

what about everyone else though?
Anyway, the whole system needs to be overhauled, I had two votes for years :eek:
Despite numerous calls and I'm sure at least one form filling, they still kept sending me a polling card to an old address??? wtf It makes me think this is widespread and probably abused.
Voting needs to be linked to PPS and that needs to be backed by ID that is issued on the basis of biometric information, I've had my doubts and concerns about it regarding civil liberty issues, but there needs to be a line drawn in the sand. Anyway off topic rant probably, but coming from someone that worked since left school/now a mature student trying to get the degree I always said I would, now see people drawing dole at post office and no ID is even asked for.

Cookie_Monster

@MM, that form still only entitles you to a vote if in the country, so is somewhat limited... you'll have to borrow one of those jets to come back over for it
:pac:

Merch wrote: »

what about everyone else though?
Anyway, the whole system needs to be overhauled, I had two votes for years :eek:
Despite numerous calls and I'm sure at least one form filling, they still kept sending me a polling card to an old address??? wtf It makes me think this is widespread and probably abused.

vote early, vote often