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Strange question asked to me before voting...

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 228 ✭✭Gergiev


    gavmcg92 wrote: »
    She was correct... Each area has one box which takes all votes made on that day by people in that area.

    Except in Dublin West where the bye-election votes were placed in a separate box.
    gavmcg92 wrote: »
    When the boxes are opened at the count centers, then the specific papers are seperated.

    Exactly, it doesn't matter that all 3 papers were placed in the same box as they are separated first and then counted.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,537 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    gbee wrote: »
    Did you ask for the card back?
    Yes, but by the answer I got, the polling clerk wasn't intending on taking it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 228 ✭✭Gergiev


    Lots of people refused the referendum ballots is why.

    What an utterly rediculous thing to do. If you are unhappy with the fact that the government has not made a sufficient effort to explain the facts to you, then logically I'd think the right course of action is to leave things as they currently stand in the constitution by voting no to the amendment. Basically abstaining yourself and letting others make the decision for you, sounds a bit Irish to me...

    The main reason some people would refuse is that clerks (incorrectly) offered them the choice of receiving or declining the papers.

    (In my station we automatically gave each voter the 3 papers and not one declined).

    As I predicted here last night, the returning officer denied when questioned today by the Irish Times ever issuing such an instruction which would be totally improper.

    AS HellFireClub implies, declining the paper could alter the result as most voters would err on the side of caution if having doubts about the meaning or import of the amendment.

    So after the millions and millions that we spend on closing the schools, paying the poll staff and promoting the amendments from public money, the result could be determined by this kind of unprofessional nonsense.

    However, I can't blame voters for not understanding the amendments as the public debate was almost non-existent and even the the voting slips themselves were deficient on information and could also have caused confusion.

    (In our station we had to assist several voters in explaining which was which and even sometimes what they were about).

    But that's a different matter entirely from improperly asking voters if they wish to receive the ballot paper...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 196 ✭✭mikeyboy


    Snakeblood wrote: »
    A weird thing happened to me. At least, it was against my expectation. I went to vote, and I asked for the 3 sheets. The woman said to dump them in the one box, which I thought was not correct, surely they were supposed to be separated into Referendum votes and Presidentail Votes?


    This was at Jobstown.

    Just one box in each ballot station, they are separated out at the start of the count.


  • Registered Users Posts: 228 ✭✭Gergiev



    My mother was working at the polling stations yesterday, the reason why people may have been asked is that if the ballot is stamped and then the person says they don't want it, it will count as a spoiled vote. If they say before it's stamped it doesn't count as a spoiled vote. Probably trying to make life easier for the people at the count reducing the number of blank ballots.

    Perhaps the people asking if they wanted the referenda ballots were fed up with handing out stamped ballots that were immediately refused.

    I don't think it's really a biggie.

    With respect, that's nonsense.

    If the ballot is stamped and the voter declines it then you just give it to the next voter.

    The only time it would be a "spoiled vote" is if it was the last voter of the night and then it would have to be classified as such and dealt with accordingly.

    (The spoiled vote process is perfectly straightforward).

    And even if there were many "spoiled votes", it's our job as Presiding Officers to process them as such and not start minimising them for our own convenience.

    As I mentioned above, not one person in my own station declined the paper.

    But if you introduce the idea then inevitably it will start to happen with consequences for the result which is improper.

    And that's why it's a biggie...


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭Neddyusa


    Gergiev wrote: »
    The main reason some people would refuse is that clerks (incorrectly) offered them the choice of receiving or declining the papers.

    (In my station we automatically gave each voter the 3 papers and not one declined).

    As I predicted here last night, the returning officer denied when questioned today by the Irish Times ever issuing such an instruction which would be totally improper.

    AS HellFireClub implies, declining the paper could alter the result as most voters would err on the side of caution if having doubts about the meaning or import of the amendment.

    +1

    I have heard several comments by analysts on Tv and radio saying that people were refusing to take the referendum ballot papers. But I have not heard one report of the fact that voters were actively being presented with the option of declining them instead of being handed the three papers as they should have.

    In my polling station in Roscommon voters were handed the Presidential election ballot and then asked if we would like the referendum ballots. As others have posted here this could have altered the result of the votes.

    It appears that this was a widespread (apparently unsanctioned) practice in polling stations across the country. Given that this was totally inappropriate (as Gergiev highlighted), why has this not been mentioned in the broadcast media?

    And has the OP or anybody who complained about this practice received any response?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,537 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Neddyusa wrote: »
    It appears that this was a widespread (apparently unsanctioned) practice in polling stations across the country.
    Not apparently unsanctioned, this quote would appear to indicate a written instruction.
    Orders in the book were to ask the question and record how many of each were used.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭Raging_Ninja


    The phrasing of the book I suppose was confusing. I honestly thought that was what we were supposed to do - the 'mark which ballots the voter uses' phrase in the book seemed to imply to ask the voter which ones they would like.


  • Registered Users Posts: 228 ✭✭Gergiev



    The phrasing of the book I suppose was confusing. I honestly thought that was what we were supposed to do - the 'mark which ballots the voter uses' phrase in the book seemed to imply to ask the voter which ones they would like.

    RN, I wouldn't agree the phrasing in the book is confusing.

    The voter is automatically handed the ballots for whatever polls are taking place.

    That is explicit in the introductory instructions.

    The reference to marking the register (not the ballot as you stated - if that was the case the vote would be traceable which cause uproar) is later in the manual in the event of a voter (voluntarily) declining any ballot paper.

    This is to make sure the register and ballots correspond.

    Sounds like this might have been your first outing at the job.

    Were you acting as Presiding Officer or Poll Clerk?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    officer gave me all three papers, i just did not mark the yes and no papers, as i did not have enough information, i popped them in box anyway,
    but i would expect to get all three, not be asked if i were voting or not on all three, i think this statement should be reported to appropriate authorities


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭Raging_Ninja


    Gergiev wrote: »
    The reference to marking the register (not the ballot as you stated - if that was the case the vote would be traceable which cause uproar) is later in the manual in the event of a voter (voluntarily) declining any ballot paper.

    Maybe I phrased it wrong - we marked on the register which ballots the voter took.
    Were you acting as Presiding Officer or Poll Clerk?

    Poll clerk.


  • Registered Users Posts: 228 ✭✭Gergiev



    Maybe I phrased it wrong - we marked on the register which ballots the voter took.

    Poll clerk.

    RN, if this was your first outing as an electoral officer then it was a good one from the point of view of gaining experience with dealing with a presidential election and 2 referenda on the one day.

    Plus the debate here has raised some other issues that give us all back-up perspective for future elections.

    Thanks for the input and best of luck with all...


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