Election Confirmed for May 24th (opinions on the choice of thursday here aswell)

mikemac

Indeed, don't dare come onto boards next month moaning about politicans if you had the opportunity to vote and didn't bother.
If you didn't get an opportunity, this doesn't apply

Even if your candidate is a no hoper it's still worth voting as you can organize your transfers.

Time Magazine

Ateam, seriously, those posts of such FF ilk. The whole "it's done" attitude didn't win you any votes with e-voting now did it? Simply because it has been decided does not mean we can't complain and vote against the government for this.

I'm one of these people that come from the logical school of maths. There are three ways students can vote regarding governments. Either students vote in exactly the same numbers for FF as their elders in general elections, or they vote in greater numbers, or they vote in lower numbers.

Now as student involved in political societies both in my own university and at a nationwide level, I am assuring you now that less students for the government than their elders. Students are decidedly more left-wing than their more sensible elders . For example, the largest party in TCD over several years has been the Green Party.

As to your issue over whether they can still vote: of course they can. But it has been made about as hard as possible for them. If you were to make it hard for students, what would you do? Well first off you'd put it in the middle of the week so they wouldn't be around: check. Second of all you'd put it during exams: check. Third of all: you'd put it in the final year exams: check. If you're from Mayo, you're in UCD, you want to vote FG and you have an exam at noon in Belfield, it's very hard to vote. It's even harder if you have an exam on the Friday as well. It's made as difficult as possible.

There are 200,000 third-level students. This represents 10% of the electorate (assuming they're all over 18). Now of course nothing like 100% of them will vote. 50% would be about expected. That's still 5% of the electorate, a non-trivial amount. Assume one in five of these people sitting exams won't make it to the ballot box now (this is only one tenth of students, which I think is a fair estimate), that's still 20,000 votes not cast. Yes, we're aware Bertie is entitled to schedule the election whenever he wants, but removing the reasonable capability of voting for 20,000 people is a bit against the spirit of democracy, don't you agree? It's a bit like ceasing all public transport for the day, isn't it?

And as to your concerns about the numbers of students voting, it seems that year you've spent outside education has left you well out of touch. Young Fine Gael launched a massive voter registration campaign, I think Ógra FF did the same, and Rock the Vote has cross-party support - it even has a blog entry from Bertie himself. Students do vote and they will vote in increased numbers this year. It's just a pity they won't vote as much as they would had Bertie called it for another date, don't you think?

cast_iron

irishash wrote:

the last line says it all - you have to know if anyone of the above applies to you 6 months before the election.

That's not entirely accurate though. Despite what that site says is the deadline to register normally, I could still register over 2 months past that date.
And, it appears there is a provision to change details up to 2 weeks before the election. Whether a student can change to a postal vote at this stage, I'm not sure.

brianthebard

To add to what Ibid says, in NUIM YFG are much much more active than Ogra FF. Also going by the figures he's provided, is it even possible for the various county councils to provide 20000 postal votes? Even 10000?

GerardKeating

ateam wrote:

The notion that students vote for change is also a stereotype. I'm merely saying that talk about the day in which the election falls is unproductive. He's called it for a Thursday, there's no point dwelling on it. Students that can't vote this time, make it your business to vote in 5 years time.

There is nothing to stop Students voting on a thursday, at least those in full time education, they can apply for a postal vote.

brianthebard

And like I said, will the county councils be able to cope with the demand?

irishash

GerardKeating wrote:

There is nothing to stop Students voting on a thursday, at least those in full time education, they can apply for a postal vote.

the deadline for postal votes closed in january (that was after the original closing date of november. a student, let alone anyone else, cannot apply for a postal vote now. yes they could have done it months ago, but then again they did not know the election was going to be on a thursday during most colleges exams.

it is amazing how much difference a day makes in politics :rolleyes:

ballooba

Marcais wrote:

Well it was, discretly hidden in my signature...well alright, not discretely, but not as indiscretely as yours!

I must commend this recent conversion to subtlety.

Marcais wrote:

A pity your guy is such a damp squib though.

I maintain that he will come into his own when he gets into office. It's tough to be upbeat and cockey when leading a party that has been in opposition for the best part of 20 years. Anyway, that's another thread.

Interesting times ahead, it all comes down to people getting out and voting. The FF core vote would crawl on their hands and knees through broken glass to get to a polling station.

Orion

Marcais wrote:

A pity your guy is such a damp squib though.

Your guy, my guy, his/her guy, etc. How about our guy? And I don't mean any particular guy by saying that. Whoever becomes the next boss we're stuck with for 5 years. So lets discuss the different guys merits/demerits rather than slag each other.

Dave!

Let's hope it's FF and the PDs doing the walking after 24th May.

Hagar

A massive number of SSIAs mature tomorrow. You have to hand it to them, it's all about timing.:mad:

Hammiepeters

Yes, and whilst I have voted FF all my life, the O, Cunachain case (as discussed on fridays late late ) where the govt. squandered €10m to beat down a decent family in the courts, is another message that says this lot have been in too long. Time for a change. Roche is a tosser also!

Senator

What a stupid way to call a General Election, scambling upto the Park at 8 on a Sunday morning to catch the President before she flies off to the States.

If you needed any image to characterise Bertie Ahern, this is it in a nutshell. Dithering until the last minute - "Will I, won't I ?" - and ignoring the Dáil where he should, in accordance with precedent, have made the election announcement on Friday.

Perhaps he was waiting for Manchester United to get a full 5 points clear of Chelski. That was the good omen he needed.

Pathetic ! Turf him out !

Senator

Senator wrote:

If you needed any image to characterise Bertie Ahern, this is it in a nutshell. Dithering until the last minute

I thought the exact opposite, how refreshing to see a politican working on a Sunday and catching the opposition on the hop.

Heinrich

Deleted User wrote:

I thought the exact opposite, how refreshing to see a politican working on a Sunday and catching the opposition on the hop.

Noboby was caught on the hop!

If this particular politician was working on a Sunday perhaps it was to make up for all the time he wasted in opening pubs, clubs, supermarkets, chocolate boxes etc.

Roll on the 24th:p

Heinrich

Heinrich wrote:

Noboby was caught on the hop!

News reports yesterday morning said Fine Gael were, it took them a couple of hours to respond.

Villain

I think if anyone was caught on the Hop it was FF I mean surely they should know how to spell Taoiseach when sending out press releases about a General Election being called, I can even spell that.

Zombrex

Deleted User wrote:

I thought the exact opposite, how refreshing to see a politican working on a Sunday and catching the opposition on the hop.

He was "working" on a Sunday because he left it till the very very last minute to do the "work" (on purpose of course)

If you had to do something in your office before Monday and you left it till Sunday morning when you came in and did it do you think your boss would be impressed by the fact that you were working on Sunday or annoyed that you left your work until Sunday?

I deleted an off topic discussion there about a moved thread.

In order to keep the running of this board smooth,I've already warned that deletions and bannings will be used.

I am serious about this.

Also threads moved here that continue here are subject to the politics charter which prohibits a good lot of what I had to delete there.

Please keep to the topic of each thread folks and please attack the post and not the poster.

Carry on.

jank

Bertie has been paniced into the call of this election.

I for one think its a disgrace that the election is not on a weekend.
They do a census on a sunday dont they why not an election??

Look at france with their 86% turnout which was held on a sunday.

It should be a LAW that elections are held at the weekend

GET the ****ers out!!

ballooba

Deleted User wrote:

News reports yesterday morning said Fine Gael were, it took them a couple of hours to respond.

Enda Kenny was informed by midnight on Saturday and was up all night Saturday/Sunday preparing, he was then on a red-eye from Knock to Dublin on Sunday AM. We had been told to keep an ear to the ground and to go to the constituency office as soon as the announcement was made. I missed it because I was on the batter, but by the looks of things they did alright.

Lucinda Creighton had DSE completely wallpapered (for the third time ) by noon. Any other constituencies I was in yesterday Fine Gael were on the ball. The response was excellent given that FF/PD candidates had the inside track.

cast_iron

irishash wrote:

the deadline for postal votes closed in january (that was after the original closing date of november. a student, let alone anyone else, cannot apply for a postal vote now.

That's incorrect.

Just like regular registering, you have until tomorrow to get on the supplemental register as a postal vote (even if already registered for normal vote).
You need a PV2 form stamped by your 3rd level institution, and fax it in to your local County Council.

So NO EXCUSES for ANYONE.

The_Minister

Hammiepeters wrote:

the O, Cunachain case

Google doesn't seem to know it. Can you give more detail?

Hammiepeters

Minister, sent you a private message on the O' Cunachain case

Marcais

irishash wrote:

the deadline for postal votes closed in january (that was after the original closing date of november. a student, let alone anyone else, cannot apply for a postal vote now. yes they could have done it months ago, but then again they did not know the election was going to be on a thursday during most colleges exams.

it is amazing how much difference a day makes in politics :rolleyes:

The deadline for signing up for a postal vote was January? I couldn't find that anywhere, but I think the supplementary closed today? Some links here, but they don't appear to give deadlines etc.

Marcais wrote:

It looks like Charlesland Sports Centre is the place to cast your vote in the General Election 2007. I assume that's the changing rooms etc. building by Jackie Skellys.

To check if your registered and that your details are correct go to www.wicklow.ie/ereg

If your not registered you can be added to the supplementary register: http://www.wicklow.ie/RegisterOfElectors/RFA%203%20_Feb.%2007-English_.pdf

http://www.wicklow.ie/RegisterOfElectors/PV2%20English%20-%20form.pdf

For more details http://www.wicklow.ie

What's on offer:

Candidates

Independents

Evelyn Cawley http://evelyncawley.com/

Pat Doran - (Fianna Fail until 2007) http://www.unison.ie/wicklow_people/stories.php3?ca=34&si=1773332&issue_id=15236

Carmel McKenna http://www.indymedia.ie/article/76160


Labour Party

Liz McManus http://www.labour.ie/lizmcmanus/issues.html

Nicky Kelly http://www.labour.ie/nickykelly/biography.html


Green Party

Deirdre de Búrca http://www.deirdredeburca.com

Sinn Féin

John Brady http://www.sinnfein.ie/elections/constituency/wicklow_local

Fine Gael http://www.finegael.ie/representatives/general/index.cfm/area/information/pkey/655/type/detail/id/24

Billy Timmins
Andrew Doyle

Fianna Fáil

Dick Roche http://www.environ.ie/DOEI/DOEIHome.nsf/wvInfoView/C557C98030F2467280256F0F0039B7E5?OpenDocument&Lang=en

Joe Behan http://www.fiannafail.ie/person.php4?pid=975&show=Councillor

Pat Fitzgerald http://www.fiannafail.ie/person.php4?pid=774&show=Councillor


The odds (going is forecast to be soft to heavy, which should suit the outsiders )

http://www.paddypower.com/bet?action=go_type&category=SPECIALS&disp_cat_id=&ev_class_id=33&ev_type_id=8065&ev_oc_grp_ids=45154&bir_index=#link_819934