Did you pause before casting your vote today ?

TouchingVirus

I voted yes, but probably spoiled my vote because I ticked the box instead of marking it with an X - that's what I get for being in a rush:rolleyes:

Rb

TouchingVirus wrote: »

I voted yes, but probably spoiled my vote because I ticked the box instead of marking it with an X - that's what I get for being in a rush:rolleyes:

It'll be fine as long as there is a clear preference marked.

TouchingVirus

Rb wrote: »

It'll be fine as long as there is a clear preference marked.

Cheers Rb, I only marked the sheet once and that was to do the tick in the YES box

robindch

Sam Vimes wrote: »

Heil Ganley

<cough> Godwin <cough> :P

Reminds me of a family member who's a fanatical ganleyite who mentioned over dinner last year that she'd had a bit of trouble with her right shoulder and couldn't raise her elbow or arm above horizontal. I remember saying that this must cause all kinds of problems during the Ganley-meets she went to

Rb

Great!

the_syco

No pause to vote yeS

Daftendirekt

Voted yes without any hesitation.

After all, we have had more than a year to discuss this!

Victor

I had to stop. i was listening to the Marx Brothers (the comedians) last night and just wanted to be sure.

Sam Vimes wrote: »

I wish I could ask for 100 ballots to vote yes to counter 99 people who will vote no because they think the EU stole €200 billion worth of fish, that we're losing our right to referendums or that the treaty requires us to change our military capacity or expenditure in any way. I won't hesitate

Have you not heard? Its now €600 billion worth of fish.

Do that many fish exist?

procure11

Sam Vimes wrote: »

The evidence suggests otherwise. "Loss of sovereignty" came in at 12% iirc, although I'd be of the opinion that most people who said that were just using it as a buzz word and didn't understand QMV. According to this page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-eighth_Amendment_of_the_Constitution_of_Ireland_Bill,_2008#Reasons_for_rejection

"protect Irish Identity" was 20% but, again, the treaty doesn't change Irish identity. The biggest reason by far in every survey was lack of understanding, a lack of understanding that was deliberately cultivated by a number of groups consistently spreading FUD. Most people in this country are pro-EU and most people would have no issue with this treaty if it was properly explained to him. A prime example of how someone becomes a no voter is this guy:



That 1% is "maybe there's some kind of validity in what these groups are saying", when in reality there isn't and that 1% made the people vote no in their droves the last time

A great student of Scofflaw...bless you !

I hope you have time to do other things.:rolleyes:

fifth

Voted yes, like I said I would.

I heard, outside the voting centre, a family discussing why they all voted no..

"Sure O'Donoghue spent €45,000 in a week! f*ck the lot of them"

Made me so angry.

Mint Sauce

only paused to double check the instructions and make sure i marked the correct box

sceptre

It took me under 30 seconds to enter the polling station, find out they hadn't had a customer in an hour, produce polling card & ID, flirt briefly with ballot girl, take ballot, make some crappy joke about the names of the candidates being very short (Mr Ta and Mr Nil), mark, fold, have observation made for me that it was faster than the Euro elections, turn, wave and exit.

No time to pause:)

FruitLover

Misty Choas wrote: »

Its for that reason and that reason ALONE that today I voted NO

It's people like you that make me angry that we had to hold a referendum about this treaty in the first place.

Little Acorn

When will the preliminary results be coming in?

namloc1980

Little Acorn wrote: »

When will the preliminary results be coming in?

The tallies will be coming out in late morning tomorrow

Funglegunk

Didn't pause, voted Yes. And proud of it. NOW TAKE THE POSTERS DOWN!!! I AM SICK OF THEM!!!

I think caps were justified there.

Little Acorn

namloc1980 wrote: »

The tallies will be coming out in late morning tomorrow

Thanks.

Hydrosylator

I actually cheated and copied my answer from last time. Saved me time.

Yeah I always take a moment before voting.
I read the thing to be sure what box I'm ticking.
It's a very solemn moment though. That's most of the reason I stop for a few seconds and feel the moment.

We're lucky to have a say in this at all.
Imagine wasting the opportunity?

turgon

According to an RTE fellow, at 10am last year it was becoming clear it would be No, and by 12 it was certain.

fifth

Newstalk say noon will give the best picture of the result.

robindch

Funglegunk wrote: »

NOW TAKE THE POSTERS DOWN!!! I AM SICK OF THEM!!!

+1

...especially lizard-girl. She's freaky and frightens my two-year old.

Red Sleeping Beauty

I paused.
I only paused to make sure I was putting the X in the right place. I read the question a few times, read the proposed amendment and still voted how I knew I was going to vote.

Red Sleeping Beauty

seamus wrote: »

Cockiness and unpreparedness. It was April 2008, recession was starting to bite but it hadn't really struck heavily, the government had a relatively strong approval rating and everyone loved the EU. So the government saw the battle as won.
Libertas appeared out of nowhere with a very strong voice and US-style tactics of lying, misleading and misdirecting, which we hadn't really dealt with in this country before and immediately led the electorate to believe that Lisbon may not be all it was cracked up to be. We expect SF and the rest to be anti-EU, but no-one knew of libertas and so it gave their claims some grounding.

Are you saying Libertas won the last referendum ?

The survey done for the EU comission after the election showed most people voted no because they didn't understand the treaty and wouln't vote yes to something they didn't understand.

"Blaming" the last 'no vote' on Libertas and other such reasons as conscription and abortion has been a flaw in the government's campaign. (note I specifically said government there)

robindch wrote: »

Well, I can't speak for anybody else, but I've yet to see a No-side ad that is legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Has anybody else seen one? There must be at least one...!

Moot point. I've yet to see a Yes-side ad that is decent, honest or truthful.
Ireland for Europe's grotesque claim that the vote is "yes for recovery" and "no for ruin" is the most distasteful I've seen and I was appalled by Coir's posters.

Sam Vimes wrote: »

it) so it can't be that bad. Change is not necessarily a bad thing.

If you don't know don't vote imo

I think it's only been the "yes" camp saying this - don't know, don't vote. Hardly a shining example of democracy is it folks ? "don't know, get educated" might seem better. Are the yes crowd afraid of the "don't knows" showing up and voting no to spoil their celebration party ?

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I will reflect on my second and third preferences.

I know you're having a laugh but this thing has been run like an election - and of course shouldn't have been. That's an affront to the direct democracy that is a referendum. Kenny and Gilmore sticking their faces on posters again was awful. Can't say I was much enamoured with Joe Higgins' face on posters either despite voting níl. People approached this similar to an election - "what's this side saying/offering?" and "what's the other side saying/offering?". It's more than just what one crowd say or offer over the other. You're changing the constitution by ratifying an EU treaty.

Ireland's still got ground to make to justify direct democracy . Mind you though, we have always been engaged in severe deference to the political and ruling class and have done so since the church ceased to ruled/run the country.

Sam Vimes wrote: »

I, Sam Vimes, entirely of my own free will have changed my opinion on this treaty. I now firmly believe that it is not in the interests of the country and you should all vote no. Heil Ganley

What ? Sorry is that an attempt at sarcasm ? Mega-fail if so.

humanji wrote: »

His opinion is that many people are voting for reasons that are nothing to to with treaty. Does that not bother you?

Yep it bothers me intensly that peope may have voted out of fear.

• Fear that Ireland will be worse off economically than it is now if they vote no.
• Fear that Ireland will become a part of the British Empire again if we vote no (Donal Barrington's argument).
• Fear that Ireland will be punished by the EU for voting no.

Hydrosylator wrote: »

I actually cheated and copied my answer from last time. Saved me time.

Yeah I always take a moment before voting.
I read the thing to be sure what box I'm ticking.
It's a very solemn moment though. That's most of the reason I stop for a few seconds and feel the moment.

We're lucky to have a say in this at all.
Imagine wasting the opportunity?

You're right, it kind of is. I get a bit austere or majestic and put on a bit of a pokerface just before marking the ballot paper and before putting it into the box. I don't know why but I suppose maybe I take a moment to appreciate the vote or some hackney reason. I think more about democracy and the input I have into the shaping of society when I vote. It's an extremely serious moment not to be taken lightly.
(that's a serious statement not a piss take )

Sam Vimes wrote: »

I can respect someone's right to vote but that doesn't mean I have to respect someone who is voting based on misconceptions and lies

Like jobs, recovery, EU membership etc.

I agree

smokingman wrote: »

Voting this evening and not going to pause in the slightest - my mind is solid on this one. I've already posted the below on another thread - seems to work for the no side to repeat ad nausium - and apologies to the mods for the effective double post.


Voting YES because I refuse to be swayed by foreign marketing teams coming onto our beloved boards.ie, creating multiple new accounts and posting lies.

Did you pause for even a second to reflect before casting your vote ?

Voting yes because of foreign marketing teams on the internet seems a little bit odd in my absolutely most humble opinion.

Sully wrote: »

No hassle at all. Walked in proudly with a Yes sticker, ticked my box (for Yes) with a satisfactory smile that I was one of the people who will gladly put their fingers up to the lies and bull**** spread by Sinn Fein, Jim Corr, Coir (who were very rude during the canvassing for a Yes), Libertas (ya, he talks about Ireland not taking democracy. Right!), Socialists etc.

It sadness me to see so many people being conned into the bull****. Even in this thread some of the No reasons have me baffled - its not that they are making it up, but they think its true. Sad day for Ireland if No wins on these silly reasons.

Sure, the Yes side may have came out with a few questionable reasons to go with Yes - but geez louize, take a look back at the ****e from Libertas, Sinn Fein and Coir which lacks a bloody foundation! Why vote with these loonies? Yes tbh.

Do Ireland proud - VOTE YES!

No valid reasons at all even in the slightest to vote no? Non whatsoever ? The only reasons to vote no are just lies and bull****? Really? Wow, gosh, I must try and get my vote back so....


Btw, you really have missed the point here Sully. No one and I mean absolutely no one is voting with anybody. Voting yes isn't voting with Fianna Fail who've destroyed this country voting no isn't siding with nationalist parties like UKIP or Sinn Fein or dodgy christian fundamentals like Coir.

Here, I suggest you try and get your vote back cause if you voted so you wouldn't be voting with someone then you voted in false confidence. RIP Sully's vote tbh.

eightyfish

Alan Rouge wrote: »

Moot point. I've yet to see a Yes-side ad that is decent, honest or truthful.

Really? More disgraceful than claiming the minimum wage will drop to less than €2, more disgraceful than claiming the treaty will legalise abortion, more disgraceful than claiming the treaty will be an end to Irish democracy, more disgraceful than claiming that the treaty will lead directly to Turkey joining (and taking over!) the EU, more disgraceful than lying about how QMV works, more disgraceful than claiming the EU stole billions in fish, more disgraceful than claiming the the treat will lead directly to compulsory Irish involvement in a aggressive military force and conscription?

The jobs and economy argument can be easily made. If this treaty did not pass, the EU would look internationally like it's too big to stabilize itself. Now that Lisbon has passed, the EU will work more efficiently, and be a stronger force on the international stage. This can only be good for the economy and, as the only Euro country that speaks English, Irish jobs.

I think it's only been the "yes" camp saying this - don't know, don't vote. Hardly a shining example of democracy is it folks ? "don't know, get educated" might seem better.

I haven't seen this from any Yes bodies. I have seen "Don't know, vote no, keep the status quo" which is just insulting the intelligence of the electorate. If you're going to vote on something, be informed. It was made very easy to do. Encouraging ignorance will get us nowhere.

PS- listening to RTE now and so far it's yes, yes, yes, yes.