Ongar and Mulhuddart - voter turnout

chucknorris

I will have final figures soon but one thing that jumps out at me is that the residents that need representation are the ones who vote less than others.

Mulhuddart voter turnout was around 20% while Ongar as of 6pm Thursday was only at 11%.

All parties must pay attention to this and all contribute to turning that around.
It starts with knocking on doors of people that didn't vote and finding exactly why they didn't.

Thoughts?

spooky donkey

may be to do with the age of ongar itself. most people there are still relativelly blow ins its only about 3 years old or that so many may still have thier votes in there previous constituienties and not moved them yet.

chucknorris

spooky donkey wrote: »

may be to do with the age of ongar itself. most people there are still relativelly blow ins its only about 3 years old or that so many may still have thier votes in there previous constituienties and not moved them yet.

Sorry I was probably a little bit vague. It's not that 10% of Ongar voted, it was 10% of the registered electorate that voted.

Only 1 in 10 voted by 6pm Thursday of the people who could actually vote in Ongar. I'm very surprised by it.

amdublin

chucknorris wrote: »

All parties must pay attention to this and all contribute to turning that around.
It starts with knocking on doors of people that didn't vote and finding exactly why they didn't.

Thoughts?

A tad intrusive no?

mikemac

chucknorris wrote: »

Only 1 in 10 voted by 6pm Thursday of the people who could actually vote in Ongar. I'm very surprised by it.

Not much employment in Ongar, the residents were away at their jobs in town or elsewhere

Why do you have the cutoff as 6pm?

The polls closed after this and many of the votes would be done in the evenings as the working people arrived home

You should be looking at the final figure, not some cutoff you've selected

richardjjd

It might be seen as a little intrusive (and maybe calling door to door might not be the place to start) but it's critical that voter turnout is addressed: if it isn't, politicians will, naturally, be more likely to address the concerns of those who are likely to bother voting.

We don't need 4 TDs representing the Castleknock end of the constituency and none the Mulhuddart end (though I accept that this is unlikely).

I live in Tyrrelstown and we've had low turnout for the last number of elections - as a consequence, we don't get politicians calling door to door. None came to my door in February for the GE, none in the last month for the bye-election. Lots of printed material, but few bodies (and before Chuck and other political reps jump up and down, no doubt they did come up here, but none of them darkened my door).

Cavehill Red

chucknorris wrote: »

Sorry I was probably a little bit vague. It's not that 10% of Ongar voted, it was 10% of the registered electorate that voted.

Only 1 in 10 voted by 6pm Thursday of the people who could actually vote in Ongar. I'm very surprised by it.

Have you factored in the large non-Irish national population of the area, who wouldn't have been eligible to vote in the presidential election or the referenda?

In other words, was it 10% of the entire electoral roll for Ongar who voted or was it 10% of the registered Irish citizens on the electoral roll in Ongar?

richardjjd

My wife received a letter from the "Dublin West Voter Turnout Campaign" last week on this very topic - calling for increased voter turnout. There was no website, phone number or postal address but they did give an email address (vote at dublin dot ie). The call to action was simple: get out and vote (because people - your neighbours / politicians etc can easily find out if you've voted or not).

I dropped them a note ten days ago asking for more information on the campaign but they haven't got back to me. One of the things I wanted to ask was how they selected their list to mail - both of us have voted in all refereda and elections since moving to the area eight years ago.

Has anyone else heard of them?

chucknorris

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Have you factored in the large non-Irish national population of the area, who wouldn't have been eligible to vote in the presidential election or the referenda?

In other words, was it 10% of the entire electoral roll for Ongar who voted or was it 10% of the registered Irish citizens on the electoral roll in Ongar?

Ongar was the lowest as of 6pm, I didn't manage to get the final % but I will. At 10% it would only have got to 20% for the evening rush if atall. Quite low.

Non Irish citizens cannot vote in the by election - they are not part of the 100% capable of voting. Of the 100% of people eligible to vote, very few did.

Polar101

chucknorris wrote: »

Non Irish citizens cannot vote in the by election - they are not part of the 100% capable of voting. Of the 100% of people eligible to vote, very few did.

They can still be registered voters and vote in the local and European elections, just not in Thursday's elections.

January

I reckon a lot of it up in the Mulhuddart area would be down to political education, or lack of it.

chucknorris

Polar101 wrote: »

They can still be registered voters and vote in the local and European elections, just not in Thursday's elections.

Of the 100% of people able to vote in the by election very few actually did.

Cavehill Red

chucknorris wrote: »

Ongar was the lowest as of 6pm, I didn't manage to get the final % but I will. At 10% it would only have got to 20% for the evening rush if atall. Quite low.

Non Irish citizens cannot vote in the by election - they are not part of the 100% capable of voting. Of the 100% of people eligible to vote, very few did.

Keen to hear more about this, Chuck. Keep us posted, or even PM me about it.
I'd forgotten the by-election - certainly British citizens could vote in that, though that probably doesn't add too many to the overall number of eligible electors.

richardjjd

January wrote: »

I reckon a lot of it up in the Mulhuddart area would be down to political education, or lack of it.

Are you referring to the Mulhuddart area? I think Chuck Norris might have been referring to Mulhuddart Ward - very different to the geographical area of the same name.

chucknorris

richardjjd wrote: »

Are you referring to the Mulhuddart area? I think Chuck Norris might have been referring to Mulhuddart Ward - very different to the geographical area of the same name.

Ladyswell national school and two others on this occasion but i'll get the final figures maybe by Wednesday.

I think voter education needs some serious consideration - particularly and starting in the schools. Blakestown were the only school to invite all candidates before the by election and it was a master stroke in my opinion.

jack presley

I'm in Mulhuddart and the only 2 callers I had were someone for Nulty and someone for Coppinger. If the rest can't be bothered putting in the ground work and getting out there, why should we consider voting for them?

chucknorris

jack presley wrote: »

I'm in Mulhuddart and the only 2 callers I had were someone for Nulty and someone for Coppinger. If the rest can't be bothered putting in the ground work and getting out there, why should we consider voting for them?

What part of Mulhuddart?

Dromheath, Wellview, Parslickstown, Village Heights and Huntstown wood as well as the nurserys were all canvassed. As for Saddlers, Blanchardstown Heath and Castlecurragh - I was not involved.

Your point is a fair point but that doesn't explain why so many people did not vote at all.

January

chucknorris wrote: »

What part of Mulhuddart?

Dromheath, Wellview, Parslickstown, Village Heights and Huntstown wood as well as the nurserys were all canvassed. As for Saddlers, Blanchardstown Heath and Castlecurragh - I was not involved.

Your point is a fair point but that doesn't explain why so many people did not vote at all.

I'm in Wellview and missed FF, but my dad was canvassed. Out of the rest we only had Nulty, Donnelly and someone for Coppinger.

Gaspode

Does canvassing door-to-door make any difference to turnout?
Anybody any hard facts to back up the effectiveness of canvassing?

I've never been canvassed at this address in 20 yrs, I still vote.
(No interest in being canvassed either, thanks!)

chucknorris

Gaspode wrote: »

Does canvassing door-to-door make any difference to turnout?
Anybody any hard facts to back up the effectiveness of canvassing?

I've never been canvassed at this address in 20 yrs, I still vote.
(No interest in being canvassed either, thanks!)

One thing a canvass may do is explain to people why it is so important to vote.

I know personnally that many did manage to vote this time when they didn't vote ever before. I could gage that through facebook.

I could also gage where people were missed on the canvas via Facebook (due to daytime canvass) and managed to revisit allot of those area's and those people did come out and vote as they understood the appeal being made.

I can understand you not wanting to be canvassed. Some people have their mind made up while others weigth up candidates by reading and watching etc but there is also allot of undecided and a canvass can usually swing that decision.

jack presley

chucknorris wrote: »

What part of Mulhuddart?

Castlecurragh

The Waltzing Consumer

chucknorris wrote: »

One thing a canvass may do is explain to people why it is so important to vote.

I know personnally that many did manage to vote this time when they didn't vote ever before. I could gage that through facebook.

I could also gage where people were missed on the canvas via Facebook (due to daytime canvass) and managed to revisit allot of those area's and those people did come out and vote as they understood the appeal being made.

I can understand you not wanting to be canvassed. Some people have their mind made up while others weigth up candidates by reading and watching etc but there is also allot of undecided and a canvass can usually swing that decision.

I admire your passion even if I hate your party and politics

I really do not put much emphasis on door-to-doors and feel that I am an adult and the amount of information available is huge and for people to say "I don't vote because no one knocked to my door" is, well frankly, stupid and I am nearly glad they don't vote if this is their reason.

I think there is far too much pandering to people and treating adults like children. Example, the referendums. People were firstly giving out that there was no information there, , yeah nothing but the referendum commission, Government parties websites, political party websites, information in the library, local Citizens Information Centre and so on. People are just plain lazy.

Then the hilarious complaint, they got confused by the piece of paper for the referendum!!!! :mad: How simple can it be? Do you want to change the constitution, put an X on yes, if you do not, put an X on no.

Politicians should be raising the bar here, making the debate greater, not changing the electorates nappies and adding 2 + 2.

Rant over.

chucknorris

The Waltzing Consumer wrote: »

I admire your passion even if I hate your party and politics

I really do not put much emphasis on door-to-doors and feel that I am an adult and the amount of information available is huge and for people to say "I don't vote because no one knocked to my door" is, well frankly, stupid and I am nearly glad they don't vote if this is their reason.

I think there is far too much pandering to people and treating adults like children. Example, the referendums. People were firstly giving out that there was no information there, , yeah nothing but the referendum commission, Government parties websites, political party websites, information in the library, local Citizens Information Centre and so on. People are just plain lazy.

Then the hilarious complaint, they got confused by the piece of paper for the referendum!!!! :mad: How simple can it be? Do you want to change the constitution, put an X on yes, if you do not, put an X on no.

Politicians should be raising the bar here, making the debate greater, not changing the electorates nappies and adding 2 + 2.

Rant over.

I'll give you a +1 for that

amdublin

No canvassers called to my door.....but plenty of canvassers at the train station every morning!

chucknorris

amdublin wrote: »

No canvassers called to my door.....but plenty of canvassers at the train station every morning!

I did one train canvass, the Wednesday morning one before the election at Clonsilla. Great craic and so many people I knew and haven't seen in years.

A busy spot.

amdublin

chucknorris wrote: »

I did one train canvass, the Wednesday morning one before the election at Clonsilla. Great craic and so many people I knew and haven't seen in years.

A busy spot.

Yes I enjoyed meeting all the candidates.

Who were you canvassing for Chuck?

chucknorris

amdublin wrote: »

Yes I enjoyed meeting all the candidates.

Who were you canvassing for Chuck?

AMDUBLIN come on, how could you not know who I was canvassing for

Pride Fighter

Gaspode wrote: »

Does canvassing door-to-door make any difference to turnout?
Anybody any hard facts to back up the effectiveness of canvassing?

I've never been canvassed at this address in 20 yrs, I still vote.
(No interest in being canvassed either, thanks!)

There have been all sorts of studies done by political scientists about the effect of face to face canvassing. It does work. I have heard by sources in various parties that Fianna Fail put a massive effort in the last campaign for the by-election. A party that is on 15% nationally in the opinion polls and far less in Dublin got 22% due to the hard work of canvassers and volunteers.

ThisRegard

The Waltzing Consumer wrote: »

Then the hilarious complaint, they got confused by the piece of paper for the referendum!!!! :mad: How simple can it be? Do you want to change the constitution, put an X on yes, if you do not, put an X on no.

You're very harsh there. Myself, wife and neighbours were very well informed on the referendum but all had to read the slips at least 2 or 3 times as it wasn't very clear which was which, the wording wasn't as expected. It sounds to me that you were either voting yes on both, or no on both. Whereas if you were to vote differently on each one it wasn't that obvious at first glance.

Jehuty42

ThisRegard wrote: »

You're very harsh there. Myself, wife and neighbours were very well informed on the referendum but all had to read the slips at least 2 or 3 times as it wasn't very clear which was which, the wording wasn't as expected. It sounds to me that you were either voting yes on both, or no on both. Whereas if you were to vote differently on each one it wasn't that obvious at first glance.

The pointless Irish being listed first and cluttering up the page doesn't help either.

spooky donkey

well no one knocked on my door that I know of but then I work in the day. Still I voted, its got nothing to do with my decision to vote or not.

Only vote I missed in the last 20 years or so was the 2nd Euro referendum and thats just cause I was out of the country that day.

Conor30

chucknorris wrote: »

Sorry I was probably a little bit vague. It's not that 10% of Ongar voted, it was 10% of the registered electorate that voted.

Only 1 in 10 voted by 6pm Thursday of the people who could actually vote in Ongar. I'm very surprised by it.

The majority of people vote after 6pm though, which the busiest period at polling places between 6pm and 9pm.

I'm not surprised that turnout was low though. Many people had little interest in the referendums and didn't really understand them either, as they were unnecessarily complex and poorly explained by the referendum commission and the government. As for the Presidential election, it's not as if it affects ordinary people's lives much no matter who's in the Aras. And the by-election was just for one seat, so it's not going to draw as many out as a General election would. Shame though.

Conor30

chucknorris wrote: »

I did one train canvass, the Wednesday morning one before the election at Clonsilla. Great craic and so many people I knew and haven't seen in years.

A busy spot.

Who were you canvassing for, Chuck Norris?

January

Conor30 wrote: »

Who were you canvassing for, Chuck Norris?

FF

chucknorris

January wrote: »

FF

Report me to the police

amdublin

chucknorris wrote: »

Report me to the police

Sorry

January

Funny joke maybe? I was just answering the question asked!

chucknorris

January wrote: »

Funny joke maybe? I was just answering the question asked!

Relax, of course I am only messing