"Compulsory" lecture preventing me from voting!

Rob! · 24-02-2011 12:26PM #1

A lot of engineers have a once-off lecture this Friday from 3-5 which directly coincides with the general election. (great timing there lads!) In advance we have been WARNED that it is compulsory and cannot be skipped under any circumstances.

Now unless your constituency is in a neighboring county or is galway itself, making it home on time to vote just isn't possible. So what are your views on this? Is it fair, to face academic consequences for exercising your constitutional right to vote?

Ficheall · 24-02-2011 12:43PM

I'm sure you'll get over it.

brianthebard · 24-02-2011 12:44PM

You can vote until 10pm, you'll be able to get home to vote unless you live at the top of Donegal or maybe Waterford or something.

TheBunk1 · 24-02-2011 12:46PM

Build a helicopter.

gizmo555 · 24-02-2011 12:50PM

Rob! wrote: »

Now unless your constituency is in a neighboring county or is galway itself, making it home on time to vote just isn't possible.

If you're studying in Galway, your constituency is Galway. You should have registered to vote there. If you insist on keeping your registration elsewhere, the difficulties you face in getting to vote on time are entirely of your own making and your own problem.

clouds · 24-02-2011 12:59PM

Well where do you live?
Go home Thurs eve, vote @ 7.30am at home then straight back to Galway. Or get on the bus straight away after 5 and go straight to the polling station.

Ireland's not that big. If you care enough you'll make it work. If you just want to whinge about your lecturers and feel all deliciously put out about not getting a long weekend, you won't.

HTH

brianthebard · 24-02-2011 01:36PM

gizmo555 wrote: »

If you're studying in Galway, your constituency is Galway.

Absolute nonsense.

c_man · 24-02-2011 01:50PM

I really don't see how it's not possible to make arrangements to vote.

What's the lecture?

mikemac · 24-02-2011 01:52PM

Go home tonight, vote tomorrow morning and then head to college.

There is no college in Ireland you can't reach by 3pm if you leave in the morning

You can get Bus Eireann from Cork to Derry in less time and you're in Galway so easier still

xEmily2011 · 24-02-2011 02:24PM

Rob! wrote: »

A lot of engineers have a once-off lecture this Friday from 3-5 which directly coincides with the general election. (great timing there lads!) In advance we have been WARNED that it is compulsory and cannot be skipped under any circumstances.

Now unless your constituency is in a neighboring county or is galway itself, making it home on time to vote just isn't possible. So what are your views on this? Is it fair, to face academic consequences for exercising your constitutional right to vote?

I know what you mean. I'm not in college yet, but i plan on going to Galway and the length of time it takes to get to Waterford is atrocious...It took 6 hours when i went for the open day.
I do, however, agree that you could head home tonight and vote at 7 am and head straight back up. It is dedication to both, but if its something you wanna do, then definitely do it.
Alternitavly, you could get a sibling to do it for you...I know its not very practical but tell them who you want to vote for and get the poling card to them. It might be your only option if you cant get home and dont wanna waste your vote

brianthebard · 24-02-2011 02:30PM

xEmily2011 wrote: »

Alternitavly, you could get a sibling to do it for you...I know its not very practical but tell them who you want to vote for and get the poling card to them. It might be your only option if you cant get home and dont wanna waste your vote

Eh no you can't do this. I realise you're probably under 18 but you should still have enough civics education to know that this is fraud.

Caliden · 24-02-2011 02:32PM

Funny how they arranged for the lecture to be on during RAG week...

24-02-2011 02:33PM

Rob! wrote: »

Is it fair, to face academic consequences for exercising your constitutional right to vote?

Ah would ya stop

Sort it out, I'm sure if you really want to vote you will make it.

Ficheall · 24-02-2011 02:34PM

Eh - it's not Rag Week in NUIG until next week...

gizmo555 · 24-02-2011 02:35PM

brianthebard wrote: »

Absolute nonsense.

Absolutely correct. The OP or any other full-time 3rd level student can register to vote in the constituency where their college is located. Since they can register there, it is by definition their constituency.

brianthebard · 24-02-2011 02:37PM

gizmo555 wrote: »

Absolutely correct. The OP or any other full-time 3rd level student can register to vote in the constituency where their college is located. Since they can register there, it is by definition their constituency.

They can, but they are not required to as the earlier posting was suggesting.

muff03 · 24-02-2011 02:39PM

Even if you are from waterford, that trip is only 3.5 hours long, and don't tell me differently cause i travelled home every week from galway city for a year! So you'd easily be home since 5 + 3.30 = 8.30! Voting stops at 10pm.

It appears you have two choices then: go home tonight and vote tomorrow morning, then travel to galway for the lecture, or go home after it. Surely you have an idea of which to do? I'd doubt it's the first time you've travelled home from Galway

Caliden · 24-02-2011 03:39PM

Ficheall wrote: »

Eh - it's not Rag Week in NUIG until next week...

It's actually College week next week and RAG week (albeit GMIT's) this week.

WallyGUFC · 24-02-2011 03:56PM

Caliden wrote: »

It's actually College week next week and RAG week (albeit GMIT's) this week.

Yeah it's GMIT RAG week, but real RAG week is next week.

xEmily2011 · 24-02-2011 04:15PM

brianthebard wrote: »

Eh no you can't do this. I realise you're probably under 18 but you should still have enough civics education to know that this is fraud.

I am 18, i do realise its fraud, but if this person really wants their vote to count, a sibling COULD do it for them with the votes they wish to place [if there is a mojor problem in making it home]. But as a family member, it is somewhat acceptable if the other member of the family, MUST be at their college lecture.
I was not stating a fact that this person SHOULD get a sibling to vote for them, but it is an alternative to missing their vote altogether!

Rob! · 24-02-2011 04:16PM

Ok, to make everything so much clearer - I live in south cork. The only citylink bus after my lecture is 6:30. (i travel this route weekly and it never reaches cork city before 9:45) From there its another 30 min (minimum) journey home for me.

And bus eireann despite leaving half an hour earlier is much worse. (goes to ennis and shannon, stops in lim for lik 20 min etc.) so that ends up being far longer a journey again.

BUT to those not in engineering, the primary problem i had was that, considering we usually finish @ 1 on fri, AND considering we have lik approx. 30 frickin weeks in the academic yr, why oh why would you schedule a once-off compulsory lecture on the same day as a general election. i mean really.....

And as for going home this evening (which i have decided to do - thank you for the common sense suggestion

- well its costing me an extra 20 quid. *sigh* - rag week funds depleted right there!

clouds · 24-02-2011 04:18PM

You'll be giving up a lot more than e20 drink money no matter who gets in. Still fair play to you.

Rob! · 24-02-2011 04:18PM

Ficheall wrote: »

I'm sure you'll get over it.

I get quite teary eyed of these things you know! :P

24-02-2011 04:24PM

xEmily2011 wrote: »

I am 18, i do realise its fraud, but if this person really wants their vote to count, a sibling COULD do it for them with the votes they wish to place [if there is a mojor problem in making it home]. But as a family member, it is somewhat acceptable if the other member of the family, MUST be at their college lecture.
I was not stating a fact that this person SHOULD get a sibling to vote for them, but it is an alternative to missing their vote altogether!

Your sibling could also get caught and go to jail. That might be a slightly more major problem then being "unable" to go home for 20 minutes

xEmily2011 · 24-02-2011 04:26PM

Rob! wrote: »

I get quite teary eyed of these things you know! :P

I know what you mean. It is a hard decision to make as it means missing an important lecture or not having a say in the next government to ruin our country :L It is a very tough decision

But well done in deciding to spend some drinking money on it (Y)

xEmily2011 · 24-02-2011 04:28PM

28064212 wrote: »

Your sibling could also get caught and go to jail. That might be a slightly more major problem then being "unable" to go home for 20 minutes

it was a simple suggestion, i hardly thought of the severe consequences that could happen. Sincerest ****ing apologies

gizmo555 · 24-02-2011 05:02PM

brianthebard wrote: »

They can, but they are not required to as the earlier posting was suggesting.

I suggested no such thing. To the contrary, I acknowledged that students can, if they insist, register elsewhere than the constituency where they study. But if they do, could they please spare us the perennial whining which breaks out from students on this subject at each election?

brianthebard · 24-02-2011 05:32PM

xEmily2011 wrote: »

I am 18, i do realise its fraud, but if this person really wants their vote to count, a sibling COULD do it for them with the votes they wish to place [if there is a mojor problem in making it home]. But as a family member, it is somewhat acceptable if the other member of the family, MUST be at their college lecture.
I was not stating a fact that this person SHOULD get a sibling to vote for them, but it is an alternative to missing their vote altogether!

no a sibling couldn't do it ffs! Its not acceptable under any circumstances.

ballsymchugh · 24-02-2011 05:39PM

brianthebard wrote: »

no a sibling couldn't do it ffs! Its not acceptable under any circumstances.

being pedantic, anyone can vote for anyone else. just like i can break into a bank later on and steal all the money (if there's any there).
it's just the whole legal reasons thing that's a balls..

scotty_irish · 24-02-2011 05:48PM

just get someone to sign you in for the lecture, nice and easy!

brianthebard · 24-02-2011 05:49PM

ballsymchugh wrote: »

being pedantic, anyone can vote for anyone else. just like i can break into a bank later on and steal all the money (if there's any there).
it's just the whole legal reasons thing that's a balls..

:rolleyes:

"Compulsory" lecture preventing me from voting!

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