Surely this is illegal?

highly1111

Today while putting the kids to bed a guy rang on the doorbell - I stuck my head out the window as I was mid nappy change (classy) and asked if I could help. He told me he was with sine fein and had a leaflet with a local candidate - he said that he was going around reminding people to vote.

Surely this goes against all laws (?) regarding canvassing on election day?Who can I report this to?

comongethappy

highly1111 wrote: »

Today while putting the kids to bed a guy rang on the doorbell - I stuck my head out the window as I was mid nappy change (classy) and asked if I could help. He told me he was with sine fein and had a leaflet with a local candidate - he said that he was going around reminding people to vote.

Surely this goes against all laws (?) regarding canvassing on election day?Who can I report this to?

Its perfectly legal.

highly1111

comongethappy wrote: »

Its perfectly legal.

Thank you.

As far as I know, they're not allowed canvas or have a presense around the polling stations. Anywhere else is fine, though.

Kristopherus

highly1111 wrote: »

Today while putting the kids to bed a guy rang on the doorbell - I stuck my head out the window as I was mid nappy change (classy) and asked if I could help. He told me he was with sine fein and had a leaflet with a local candidate - he said that he was going around reminding people to vote.

Surely this goes against all laws (?) regarding canvassing on election day?Who can I report this to?

I hope you told him where to go:(

highly1111

Kristopherus wrote: »

I hope you told him where to go:(

I wasn't too sure if it was allowed or not so I just said I'd already voted (which is true) and he went on his way. I was so busy at the time I just closed the window and went about my business.

charlie14

Only restriction on canvassing as far as i know, is that it`s not allowed within 50 metres of a pooling station

stefanovich

How about a rather large sign directly across from the entrance to the polling station... Didn't seem right. Last thing you saw before you went to vote.

Victor

stefanovich wrote: »

How about a rather large sign directly across from the entrance to the polling station... Didn't seem right. Last thing you saw before you went to vote.

There are restrictions within 50-100 metres of a polling place.

Lord TSC

At my local polling station, there were posters on the pole right outside the gates of the school, though possibly more than 50m away.

There was also one candidate in the voting hall holding a giant poster of himself....though in fairness, he was giving out to someone about it being near the booths, was hiding it as best he could and looked furious about it

Buford T Justice

Not the first tiime Sinn Fein have been in knocking on doors reminding people to vote.

It's called 'getting out the vote'
Perfectly legal

Farmer Pudsey

Deleted User wrote: »

It's called 'getting out the vote'
Perfectly legal

It only get illegal when you get the dead to vote

johnnybmac

Posters magically appeared outside our polling station Friday morning.

On a side note, I clearly remember FF and FG regularly getting the patients of the local nursing homes, mental hospital etc... (by minibus) "out to vote".

The people chosen to help these poor confused voters mark their choice in the Polling booths were usually, the folks marking the registers (who, by the way, were mostly payed/rewarded by the fore mentioned parties)

I often wondered about the legality of that...:rolleyes:

stefanovich

Victor wrote: »

There are restrictions within 50-100 metres of a polling place.

Well seems to be universally ignored here in Limerick. That large sign was gone the next day but the entire street outside the polling station was littered with signs from every party.

Victor

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

At my local polling station, there were posters on the pole right outside the gates of the school, though possibly more than 50m away.

There was also one candidate in the voting hall holding a giant poster of himself....though in fairness, he was giving out to someone about it being near the booths, was hiding it as best he could and looked furious about it

Report it to the returning officer.

Ally Dick

Are you sure he was canvassing and not casing the house ?

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Guy:Incognito

highly1111 wrote: »

I wasn't too sure if it was allowed or not so I just said I'd already voted .

You can tell anyone you like that's come on to your property to piss off.

shar01

It was like 1950s Ireland in Shankill* on Friday. Sinn Fein canvasser was offering lifts to the polling station.

* Co. Dublin. (It would be a brave Shinner to offer lifts in Belfast...)

meathstevie

Nothing wrong with a person knocking on the door and asking if you have voted on election day no matter what party they represent. The only place where you can't campaign is at the polling station.

OP, would you raise this question if the person didn't claim to represent Sinn Fein ?

stefanovich

shar01 wrote: »

It was like 1950s Ireland in Shankill* on Friday. Sinn Fein canvasser was offering lifts to the polling station.

* Co. Dublin. (It would be a brave Shinner to offer lifts in Belfast...)

I've heard of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael doing exactly the same thing.

Agent Smith

shar01 wrote: »

It was like 1950s Ireland in Shankill* on Friday. Sinn Fein canvasser was offering lifts to the polling station.

* Co. Dublin. (It would be a brave Shinner to offer lifts in Belfast...)

Any Election Campaign I've ever been involved with has offered People Lifts to polling stations, Its Not Just Sinn Fein that do that. I know FF do as well, As do Labour.


I've only known of one instance in my lift time that the campaign has been actually taken up on the offer of a lift tho. Its more of a by-gone thing where people didn't have cars/ Public Transport wasn't as reliable (ha!)



As for canvassing on election day? Perfectly Legal, although rare. I know some candidates go to the cinema on election day to take their mind off the entire campaign. Some (in the cities) may do a election day morning drop at a station (dart, luas) but other then that its rare.

sbsquarepants

highly1111 wrote: »

Today while putting the kids to bed a guy rang on the doorbell - I stuck my head out the window as I was mid nappy change (classy) and asked if I could help. He told me he was with sine fein and had a leaflet with a local candidate - he said that he was going around reminding people to vote.

Surely this goes against all laws (?) regarding canvassing on election day?Who can I report this to?

Why the hell would it?

Kristopherus wrote: »

I hope you told him where to go:(

He probably knew the way already:D

stefanovich wrote: »

How about a rather large sign directly across from the entrance to the polling station... Didn't seem right. Last thing you saw before you went to vote.

If you're that easily swayed, you would probably get distracted by something shiny before you got to the ballot box.

stefanovich

sbsquarepants wrote: »

If you're that easily swayed, you would probably get distracted by something shiny before you got to the ballot box.

The reason for the spamming of election posters all over Ireland is because it is effective.

You are sharing your vote with the same people who click on spam emails.

Odyssey 2005

Op, you should have gone down and answered the door and Enthusiastically shook hands with him, thanking him for his concern re your voting habits. Btw this would all be done without washing your hands.