Students Disenfranchised

ella minnow pea

I'm fuming :mad: having just found out that I will be unable to vote in the General Election.

I'm a final year student from Galway, living and studying in Dublin at the moment. When I heard that the election was called for a Thursday I was a little put out as it meant I would be unable to travel home to vote. Many of my friends will also have exams that day. I still figured I could register for a postal vote...

BUT today I find out that I can't, because postal votes must be registered at least 15 days before the election i.e. tomorrow evening!! Since I didn't get to find the forms required online, print them, get them signed by the college registar and then post them home today, I will be denied a voice in choosing the next government of my country.

Everyone talks about the political apathy among young people, is it any wonder when we get treated like we don't exist??

karen3212

You can still register tomorrow in the Local area where you are studying. You will need either RFA3 form if you need to change address and are already registered at Home, and rfa2 if you are registering - your name will go on the supplement to the electoral register.

If you miss a classes tomorrow, do you think it will be worth it?

www.citizensinformation.ie

ella minnow pea

Thanks very the info, very helpful, I'll pass it on to the student reps

karen3212

Hi other people have also suggested that you get a receipt when you hand your form in - might be and idea

tenandtracer

I totally sympathize with students on this and am totally disgusted by our illustrious leader with this stunt. The Thursday election day puts those doing exams in a real fix.
I teach in a certain Dublin university and would totally understand if any student had to miss a class to register, I'm sure (hope) many of my colleagues would as well.

Ste.phen

Of course I agree in principle with the Thursday = Sneaky aspect here, but surely the specific date this time around doesn't prevent a huge problem, don't most colleges break up before that? Or at least finish lectures before that?

Dave!

The height of sneakiness

brianthebard

NUI exams will be on, which makes it even less likely that students will be able to vote. I wouldn't mind missing a lecture or two, but not my finals! Fortunately I will be finished in time and able to go home, but many, perhaps most, will not.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Is there some big reason why online voting could never work? Just seems like we should be doing it by now.

Oirthir

AFAIK you have until close of business, so in theory you could get forms in the morning, bring them to College Registrar (or whoever you have to) then go to your SU or a college office and fax them to the relevant county council.

swiss

The height of sneakiness

I too am exceptionally pissed off at this. I've moved up to Dublin a few months ago, and moved again only a few weeks ago from north to south Dublin, so I saw little point in re-registering in that constituency. In order for me to go home to Waterford and vote I will have to take the Friday off work and travel home (early-ish) on the Thursday to make it for the polling booth Thursday evening. Thumbs down to Bertie on this one.

Bottle_of_Smoke

have they given any sort of explanation as to why it's not a saturday, I would be well pissed off if I wasn't able to get to my polling station

Dontico

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote:

have they given any sort of explanation as to why it's not a saturday, I would be well pissed off if I wasn't able to get to my polling station

Yeah have given an excellent one at that. Why in Gods name would a party that on several occasions tried to distrupt the democratic process in 32', 37', 58', 68', 73'; would want the demographic(young people) that dislike them most to vote?

StephenRyan

For some reason you're not allowed to do a student postal vote unless you're studying at an "institution in the state".

I'm studying in England, but I can't see any reason why that should disallow my vote.

Gah...

Agent J

Seriously if i hear one more student about this without mentioning the fact they they are getting an RA3 form to change address...

Form RA3 and change to where you are living.

Then give it to the government between the eyes and get everyone else to do it.

Also fact of the matter is no matter when they hold its going to affect some people.

oscarBravo

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote:

Is there some big reason why online voting could never work?

Lots, all to do with the importance of a public secret ballot. A topic for another thread.

Time Magazine

brianthebard wrote:

NUI exams will be on.

As will Trinity's.

The reason why student voters have to be in an institution in the state is the fairly logical idea that non-residents can't vote. Otherwise you'd have a pile of Yanks with Irish parents voting.

schween

Why can't students register to vote where they're studying? I'm studying in Galway for the last 4 years and I registered to vote ages ago. It's not as if I'm living back home so I don't see any point in me voting for politicians there as I don't live there. Also, this election has been coming for years...why leave it so late to register? ?
I do agree that the election should be held on Saturday or Sunday though.

Time Magazine

You can register in your college residence's constituency. Most people, myself included, would rather vote in their home town though.

schween

I know you can. You can register whereever you live....I'm just puzzled as to why they want to elect politicians to an area where they don't live

Time Magazine

They could be moving back there for the rest of their lives in six months.

gilroyb

StephenRyan wrote:

For some reason you're not allowed to do a student postal vote unless you're studying at an "institution in the state".

I'm studying in England, but I can't see any reason why that should disallow my vote.

Gah...

Ibid wrote:

The reason why student voters have to be in an institution in the state is the fairly logical idea that non-residents can't vote. Otherwise you'd have a pile of Yanks with Irish parents voting.

Ibid wrote:

They could be moving back there for the rest of their lives in six months.

Hence why can't those studying abroad for a year or four not do the same? If I'm away doing a masters in England for a year, why should I not have a postal vote for my home constituency still?

I think students should probably be encouraged to register in their new constituency while they're living there, it might even help improve university appeals for funding if those going for election know a large number of voters in a concentrated area are motivated by the issue. As it is now, parties know that extra funding for Trinity, UCD, etc, may appeal to the student voter (which isn't the same as all students with a vote by any means), but that this already reduced group is further dissipated by the fact they cast their votes across the 26 counties rather than a power that could be focused in the few Dublin races.

fuinneamh

The thursday election doesn't affect me but it does affect my sister. Family are fuming over it so you can be sure thats 4 votes fianna fail ain't getting.

ella minnow pea

schween wrote:

I know you can. You can register whereever you live....I'm just puzzled as to why they want to elect politicians to an area where they don't live

Exactly. I don't vote along party lines, and I want to vote in the place I'll be living for the duration of the next government - hence the discontent. I do have a change of address form but this isn't my constituency.

So just to recap: exams are on in NUI colleges, Trinity, and DCU during election day.

I understand that people would be put out whatever day was chosen, it just seems really illogical to me.

Cheers for the responses everyone, glad to see I'm not the only one annoyed.

stepbar

Leaving students aside for a moment, is there any particular reason why the election CAN'T be on a Saturday?

Aside from cost (which as far as I'm concerned is not a proper reason)

cast_iron

karen3212 wrote:

You can still register tomorrow in the Local area where you are studying. You will need either RFA3 form if you need to change address and are already registered at Home, and rfa2 if you are registering - your name will go on the supplement to the electoral register.

www.citizensinformation.ie

That citizens info site is a load of cack!

If you are already registered, and want to exercise your postal vote in your OWN constituency, then you need to send in a PV2 form (stamped by your college) by close of business tomorrow to your local county council, ie. by fax.

Murt10

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote:

have they given any sort of explanation as to why it's not a saturday, I would be well pissed off if I wasn't able to get to my polling station

You don't really believe that the established parties want students to vote do you? Students are seen as young idealists who are (used to be anyway or so it seemed) always protesting about something.

They would be expected to all vote for the Greens or the Shinners.

They will get their chance to vote soon enough, when they are working and paying taxes. Then, once they are paying through increased taxation for any improvements they are now demanding, their views and allegiances will change.

Likewise, the establishment doesn't want poor people to vote. Again they would be expected to vote for Sinn Fein or some other radical group. If they really wanted everyone to vote they would give everyone who voted a E50 or E100 voucher to spend wherever they liked when they were casting their vote. If they did this there would be queues at the polling stations all day (many looking to go off on the razz after voting).

Given that many candidates scrape in on the last count, with very few votes between them and the people they ghave defeated, having a large number of new unhappy voters exercising their right to vote would completely upset the status quo, so they'll leave well enough alone.

ballooba

Murt10 wrote:

You don't really believe that the established parties want students to vote do you? Students are seen as young idealists who are (used to be anyway or so it seemed) always protesting about something.

That stereotype is hilarious. I would think students who are politically active are a small minority.

Murt10 wrote:

They would be expected to all vote for the Greens or the Shinners.

We would be happy if they voted for the Greens as long as they vote.

is_that_so

Morning Ireland had a piece on it today which suggested that all students can register. It's not available yet but should be some time after 11. It's almost the last item on the programme if you download the full podcast. Link. Do it today!

Checked my exam timetable and I don't have an exam on the 24th (or 25th), so I'll happily find time to vote.

is_that_so

Morning Ireland piece on postal voting is now available on RTE site