Why don't they have voting on a Saturday

K-9 · 31-05-2012 12:18AM

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Postal voting doesn't exist in Ireland

It does but it's very limited.

BazDel · 31-05-2012 12:22AM

Students are well able to vote if they want to. I'm a college student and I'm on holidays at the moment. Anybody who was away from home during the year has returned home as exams finished last week. Might be different for some 3rd level institutions but anyone I know is finished, wherever they study (Cork).

People in in 6th year (18y/o) don't start exams until next week so they can vote if they like.

Anyway polling stations are open all day so it's not much of a difference whether it's held on a weekday or Saturday .

Biggins · 31-05-2012 12:27AM

eth0 wrote: »

They don't want people who are working to vote, they don't want students to vote

they want ould biddies who don't mind doing what they're told to vote. they want people who have nothing better to do than spend the day looking at RTE to vote

^^^^^^^^^^^
That - in buckets!

Jogathon · 31-05-2012 12:32AM

The college exams finished 2 weeks ago...so all students are either back at home or away for the summer. Not a great point at this time of year but valid in October - May time.

davetherave · 31-05-2012 12:35AM

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Postal voting doesn't exist in Ireland

Oh right, so the 8,885 members of the Defence Forces, don't exist?

I suppose the 13,600 members of An Garda Síochána and ~4,400 prisoners (or % thereof that are eligible to vote) don't exist either?

What about students who actually have their heads screwed on and are on the register where their 3rd level institution is, do they exist?

Or people who have disabilities or are in a hospital? Diplomats abroad? Or just work away from home?

Merch · 31-05-2012 01:01AM

I know its an easy thing to say, but the system (of voting) is not up to date.
I'm not suggesting it has to be computerised (ala e-voting), I'm happy with scrawling on a piece of paper with pencil

, I feel that is acceptable for a country our size.
However, I'd suggest the electoral roll needs to be checked regularly (ongoing), I've received a number of voting cards in the past! for former familial address, its possible large numbers of people could be voting numerous times unless there is some kind of all encompassing register of the electoral roll, where your number is ticked off that would prevent someone from voting a number of times ( and a means to ensure that a legitimate voter isn't disqualified from casting their vote).
Also correspondence addresses/actual addresses, people often dont want to leave these details associated with what they feel is a temporary address, even though in my opinion they should be voting in the location where they reside (there should be some rules regarding it, amount of days per week lived at location/months per year and really ensuring people vote in the area in which they live is important, and also I think just posting out the voting card is open to problems.

I know there are reasons why people want to go home to vote, I've come across some reasons myself, ones I've heard/been told are,
I want to vote where I live/was born (even though they no longer actually live there). Well, do people in larger/other countries suddenly mass migrate to the place they were born to vote in the local fella?
I doubt it,that suits that parochial mentality.
X did my Dad/Uncle etc a favour
or another one I heard, My Dad told me/wants me to vote for x,

The system needs to be overhauled/updated, not that electronic voting needs to be brought in, but that the system needs to be able to ensure that those that have a vote can exercise that right, and that those that might seek to undermine the system by manipulating its weaknesses to do something wrong would be unable to do so.
If Bill or John or Mary is on the road, why would it not be reasonable that they could vote for their candidates in the place of their habitual residence in any polling station, I know that the upcoming vote is yes/No but can people vote outside their own area/or even outside their allocated polling station? I dont think so?

31-05-2012 01:04AM

Students can switch the address they're registered to vote from, it's not particularly difficult. Seriously if someone isn't bothered filling out a form or is so busy for 15 straight hours then **** 'em.

danniemcq · 31-05-2012 08:26AM

What about all the Islands around Ireland?

They had to vote last monday. Now I know an awful lot of them work on the mainland during the week and a lot of them are builders etc.

That means that again they cannot predict where they will be one week to the next. It also means voting before the end of campaign. During the presidential campaign all the islanders around Ireland voted before the whole Gallaghergate thing on Frontline. How many people would have changed their minds after seeing that?

According to the 2006 Census there are a total of 2944 people living on the islands. Now i know a lot of these people will be under 18 so that number isn't just people who can vote and it also may have varied slighty (up or down) but thats still a chunk when you are constantly told that EVERY VOTE COUNTS

Dravokivich · 31-05-2012 08:41AM

If it's done on a Saturday, how will kids get a day off school?

LeinsterDub · 31-05-2012 09:31AM

davetherave wrote: »

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Postal voting doesn't exist in Ireland

Oh right, so the 8,885 members of the Defence Forces, don't exist?

I suppose the 13,600 members of An Garda Síochána and ~4,400 prisoners (or % thereof that are eligible to vote) don't exist either?

What about students who actually have their heads screwed on and are on the register where their 3rd level institution is, do they exist?

Or people who have disabilities or are in a hospital? Diplomats abroad? Or just work away from home?

Sorry for being wrong maybe it's never happened to you before. I remember looking into a postal vote before and being told I couldn't.

skywalker · 31-05-2012 09:41AM

Seems to me like it should be broadly established what day of the week historically suits voters best & has the highest turnout & this should be locked in as "voting day" all future referenda will be on this day forevermore unless theres a referendum to change it.

I dont like that the ruling political party has the power to change this to potentially influence an outcome.

Or you could do something radical like change the process so you can vote over a week long period at garda stations & post offices, & do away with polling stations altogether.

Zebra3 · 31-05-2012 09:43AM

BattleCorp wrote: »

Another point on the above quote.

Changing my address is fine for the referrendum, no problem there as it's a yes or no vote. It's not worth a sh1te if it's a Local or General Election.

My home area is down the country but if I am in Donegal, I think I can only vote for the Donegal candidates. That's not worth a fcuk to me. I want to be voting for my local candidates who work for my own area, not somebody in Donegal or wherever that I have never heard of before.

This system of having voting on a weekday totally excludes a huge number of people (or at least makes it very hard for them to vote), and this shouldn't be the case.

Register where you live.

If you no longer live "at home", get over it.

Jester252 · 31-05-2012 11:19AM

BazDel wrote: »

Students are well able to vote if they want to. I'm a college student and I'm on holidays at the moment. Anybody who was away from home during the year has returned home as exams finished last week. Might be different for some 3rd level institutions but anyone I know is finished, wherever they study (Cork).

People in in 6th year (18y/o) don't start exams until next week so they can vote if they like.

Anyway polling stations are open all day so it's not much of a difference whether it's held on a weekday or Saturday .

Yet in other elections during the year ,like president election, it is harder for students to vote as they have to travel and most can't.
If it was held on Saturday schools won't have to be closed.

blackwhite · 31-05-2012 11:32AM

BattleCorp wrote: »

True, you could update your place of residence. But like I said in my earlier post, this means that you vote in the constituency that your new residence is. That's fine for referrenda but no use for General or Local elections.

As for working on Saturdays, it's a long shift if you are working from 7am until 10pm.

You vote based on where you currently live. Technically speaking, if you travel home to your parents' house on weekends then it's no longer your normal residence, and you should be moving registration to where you live most of the time.

Even if you go home every weekend, which is more beneficial to you - having an influence on who represents the area you live in 5 days a week, or the area you live in 2 days a week?

Paparazzo · 31-05-2012 11:50AM

The government should send a letter out to everyone to ask what days they'll be at home. When they get a day where everyone is at home, have the election on that day.
I remember a few years ago there was an election on a day where I was away on holidays, it's a disgrace, it's like north korea here.

Merch · 31-05-2012 04:57PM

Paparazzo wrote: »

The government should send a letter out to everyone to ask what days they'll be at home. When they get a day where everyone is at home, have the election on that day.
I remember a few years ago there was an election on a day where I was away on holidays, it's a disgrace, it's like north korea here.

Can I assume that's all intentional

you know, there are some people around that actually think like/believe that

Why don't they have voting on a Saturday

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