Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 15 Jun 1999

Vol. 506 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Election Turnout.

Ms Hanafin

The recent low turnout in the elections is cause for concern to us, not just as politicians but as representatives of the democratic system. Democracy has been fought for and is valued in this country, but it must not be destroyed by apathy. It is in the interests of political parties and candidates to encourage voters and it is the duty of the democratic system to promote democracy and voter participation. It is obviously of concern that in my constituency of Dun Laoghaire only 38.6 per cent of people came out to vote. There is a responsibility on political parties that if we cannot popularise the candidates we at least should be able to popularise voting. For that reason I ask the Minister as a representative of the democratic system to introduce a range of measures to facilitate voting and voters.

Some of the areas I would like considered include introducing two day voting. I am not suggesting that the polls should be open all day over two days, but perhaps voting could start on Friday afternoon and continue until Saturday lunchtime to allow people time to get to the polls, to travel to different ends of the country and cast their vote. I ask that we would not have multiple elections on the same day, particularly where those elections demand a different form of voting. There was a great deal of confusion at the weekend where in many places we were not just presented with three voting papers but with four. One of those required an X and the others required voters to mark their preference in order under the proportional representation system. This is confusing and should be avoided in future. Each election deserves recognition in its own right. It was totally unacceptable that in voting on a constitutional referendum one was asked on the paper: "Do you approve of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution Bill" without an outline of that amendment. It should always be the case that when people are presented with their voting paper they are given the full information on the subject on which they are voting.

I would also ask that when the polling card is distributed people are given a list of the candidates in that area so that they will know that these people have paid their deposit and are legitimate candidates. This is the type of ballot paper with which they should be presented. This is particularly important in the Dublin area where constituencies merge. The dividing line may be down the middle of a road and posters and literature can be misleading. In the interests of democracy rather than that of the political parties I ask that a non-party political voting guide and a mock ballot paper be distributed to show people how to vote and explain the importance of the PR system.

I welcome the introduction of photographs on ballot papers for the European elections last weekend. I would urge that this be extended to all elections in the future. Confusion arose because of the siting of polling stations. Is there any reason that people should not be advised six months in advance as to where their polling station will be so that they can plan and organise transport to get there?

Encouraging voting can be done through the media but should be funded under the democratic system. Radio, television and newspapers are valuable ways of promoting information. The Referendum Commission chose only to give information in the newspapers which meant that only those who purchase newspapers got the information. The least it could have done was to distribute to every house the information relating to the amendment. In all elections information on the importance of voting should be sent to every household. I ask that the supplementary register be extended to allow for a transfer of votes from people who were previously registered. A person from Donegal who will not be able to get home because he or she has been living in Dublin for three months should be able to transfer their vote from its original place.

In future campaigns we should target young people. Their turnout is particularly important. I was worried today when a Trinity student told me that to vote is a "nerdy" thing to do. It should be a natural, civic and popular thing to do. We should encourage voting among students – ask that school councils be elected using the PR system so people are used to it; fund the National Youth Council of Ireland to promote democracy and voting and register all students in leaving certificate classes who are – or soon will be – 18 years of age. That is the best way of getting them. There should also be a campaign similar to that used in the United States – MTV's "Rock the Vote" campaign, where popular figures for young people promote registration and voting.

It is in our interest as politicians to restore faith in the political system. It is our responsibility as politicians to uphold democracy. It is our duty to encourage participation in the electoral system. Democracy is about choosing our representatives, not about choosing to vote. We, the representatives of the system, should encourage that.

Mr. Bradford

I welcome this opportunity to discuss this important issue. I hope Minister Dempsey will allow for a broader debate on this matter in the next few months.

Friday was a bad day for democracy in this State. When there is a national poll and half the electorate fails to exercise the democratic right to vote, it is bad for democracy. We should respond to such a negative signal. More than two million people have the right to vote. They also have a responsibility to vote but one million people ignored that responsibility.

Many Members of this House have had occasion to act as election monitors in far flung corners of the globe. Five years ago I acted as an election monitor in Malawi. I saw tens of thousands of people queueing at 6 a.m. to exercise their right to vote and I found it a saddening experience to return home where the words associated with politics are cynicism and disinterest. The contrast between a country where they value the opportunity to vote and what is happening in this State is most depressing.

I was further depressed to read an article in one of the Sunday papers by a gentleman who waxes lyrical every week about the standards in politics in this State and the quality of politicians. He boasted on the front page that he did not bother voting. Not only is that cynical, sad and pathetic, it is very depressing.

Lack of voter interest is not a new phenomenon. Since the mid-1970s the percentage of people who use their vote has fallen. I do not accept the line that all parties are the same and that there is no choice. People in this country had an opportunity to vote for peace 12 months ago but little more than half of the electorate exercised its right to vote.

The problem is acute and we must examine solutions. I support the solutions offered by Deputy Hanafin. She was correct when she spoke about the lack of knowledge of how to vote. It was interesting that so many young people who responded to efforts to canvass their vote said they had no interest in voting. When questioned further, it became apparent that they did not know how to vote.

I agree that voting should be held over a one and half day period. The move to Friday voting was a genuine effort to make a difference but unfortunately it has not worked. If anything it has had the reverse effect. Perhaps if voting commenced on a Friday morning and continued until 10 p.m. and then started again on Saturday morning and finished at lunch time it would make a difference. If we did that, we could then start the count an hour or two later.

We could never have imagined that, in this country where our forefathers fought for the right to vote, we would have to consider the introduction of compulsory voting. It is not a new idea. The Minister said he would not automatically favour it but we may have to consider it. If only half the people vote, there is only half a democracy. If people want to influence the way the State is run, we must do everything necessary to enable them to do that, including the possible introduction of compulsory voting. That would ensure that Governments are elected by all the people.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. D. Wallace)

I would like to thank the Deputies for raising this issue. My colleague, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, is unable to be in the House and he has asked me to respond on his behalf.

Like most politicians, political commentators and members of the public, I am extremely concerned about the low turnout in the recent polls. The possibility of a low poll became evident during the election campaign and it has been the subject of much comment since. Various theories have been put forward why nearly half the electorate decided not to vote last week. Alienation from the political system, decline in party appeal and political fragmentation, policy convergence between the political parties and the pursuit of consensus politics, days and times of polls and the holding of a number of polls on the same day have all been suggested as possible explanations for the low voter turnout. Earlier this year, research by the Referendum Commission in the aftermath of the referenda on the Amsterdam Treaty and the Good Friday Agreement revealed a variety of reasons for not voting among non-voters including people being too busy, being away from home or simply not bothering to vote.

The reality is that no one can say with any degree of certainty what is the cause of a low turnout. It may be due to a single factor or, more likely, a complex combination of factors, including some of those I listed. It is clear that the decline in voter turnout is not uniquely an Irish phenomenon. The turnout at the European elections in Ireland, albeit disappointing at just over 50 per cent, was in line with the EU average of 49.4 per cent, a figure that has declined from an average of 56.8 per cent in 1994.

Solutions to this problem tend to be scarcer than explanations for it. One such solution which has been suggested in the past, and which Deputy Hanafin raised tonight, is Sunday voting. There is no legal difficulty with holding elections on a Sunday. Under electoral law the polling day at each election and referendum is appointed by order of the Minister for the Environment and Local Government and it is a matter for decision on each occasion which day of the week should be appointed. The advantages usually claimed for Sunday voting include facilitating workers who are normally away from home during the week, reduction or elimination of school closure and providing a wider choice to the voters generally as to the time of day when they could vote.

While there may be merit in these arguments, there is also a potential downside to Sunday voting. Indeed, far from increasing voter turnout, there is a possibility that it could have an adverse effect on the size of the poll. Many people would undoubtedly be free from their normal working duties at the weekend. This is not the case, however, with everyone. For people working in transport, tourism and service industries, the weekend is probably the their busiest time and they may well have difficulty getting to their polling station.

In addition, Sunday is the major sporting day of the week, with thousands of people taking part in or attending sporting events. Last Sunday was as good an example as any with major and very well attended GAA matches throughout the country and a mini-marathon in Dublin. I shudder to think what the turnout would have been if the elections and referendum had been held last Sunday. Although Sunday voting remains an option, I am not convinced more people would have an opportunity to vote if it were decided to hold elections and referenda on a Sunday. The majority of countries in the EU hold their elections on a Sunday but this in itself is not a persuasive argument – what is appropriate to the circumstances in Ireland is what is relevant. In this regard, one of the more serious considerations would have to be the question of objection on religious grounds. The views against such a proposal have been firmly stated to my Department by the main religions in recent correspondence.

Deputy Hanafin has also suggested distributing lists of candidates to encourage voters to vote. This objective is to a large extent achieved through the publication in newspapers of Notice of Polls stating the day and hours during which the poll will be taken and listing the names and descriptions of candidates in the order in which the names will appear on the ballot paper. This is something which can be explored further perhaps in the context of a public information campaign on the importance of voting.

A review of the electoral system is currently being undertaken by the all-party Oireachtas committee on the Constitution in the context of its examination of the institutions of the State. I hope the all-party committee's report, when it is available, will provide a basis for an informed public debate on our electoral system and the scope for reform.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.13 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 16 June 1999.