Why don't they have voting on a Saturday

BattleCorp

Why the feck do they have the voting on a weekday and not the weekend? Surely Saturday would make more sense.

Lots of people work away during the week (myself included sometimes) and so I won't make it home tomorrow to vote. Some students away in college are in the same boat.

You would surely get more people voting if it was held on a Saturday.

It seems to me that they have it midweek in order to prevent certain sections of the community voting.

Am I just being paranoid?

christmas2012

votings tommorrow ::eek::

RMD

Because having an area of the public service which isn't an essential daily service working on the weekend is laughable.

eth0

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

telekon

I'm not wasting my precious weekend going into the polling station, feck off students!!

Battered Mars Bar

The only people the government want to be voting are the public sector because they're puppets in their pockets the lot of them...and to boot they only work half a day anyway at most...probably finished at 3:30 I'd say sure who'd want to work after an extended hours lunch break really that's what I think there about that. That's why we've so many of them too, strength in numbers ye know, feckers.

davetherave

BattleCorp wrote: »

Lots of people work away during the week (myself included sometimes) and so I won't make it home tomorrow to vote. Some students away in college are in the same boat.

Or...you know, maybe change your address on the Electoral Register to where you will be?

leggo

I'd imagine it's for the opposite reason that you suggest OP: people are more likely to make time to vote during a weekday, driving to/from work etc. Whereas Saturdays are usually filled for the average family: kids playing football, weekly shopping, and so on. Voting isn't likely to make the 'To Do' list on a busy day like that. And there are many more average families than people working away from home.

flutterflye

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

Why do people say such shyte like this?
Really.
So many people do it - just make up reasons for things and spew it out their asses as if it's true.
Eh no.. that is just something stupid you just made up!

BattleCorp

davetherave wrote: »

Or...you know, maybe change your address on the Electoral Register to where you will be?

Ah yes, but I'm where I'll be from one week to the other is a mystery to me. I often only find out at a few days notice. I'm at the whim of my employer.

Kurz

Believe it or not OP, the vast majority of people work and live in the same part of the country.

blindside88

Surely in the case of this vote it would make sense to have the vote on a saturday (from a yes perspective), while not wanting to make sweeping generalisations a large proportion of the no campaigns support seems to be from people that are out of work and disheartened with the government and will therefore vote any day if they are going to. As the yes side is getting support from most of the major unions and ibex it makes sense that a larger proportion of these may not be able to vote on a weekday. By the way this is not a swipe at the no side, of I don't see it from your point of view I respect your decision to view it that way

davetherave

Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

The only people the government want to be voting are the public sector because they're puppets in their pockets the lot of them...and to boot they only work half a day anyway at most...probably finished at 3:30 I'd say sure who'd want to work after an extended hours lunch break really that's what I think there about that. That's why we've so many of them too, strength in numbers ye know, feckers.

Voting for the referendum opens from 7am to 10pm on polling day.

But don't let that get in the way of a good public service bashing.....:rolleyes:

big_heart_on

flutterflye wrote: »

Why do people say such shyte like this?
Really.
So many people do it - just make up reasons for things and spew it out their asses as if it's true.
Eh no.. that is just something stupid you just made up!

Because thats exactly what government politicians were saying a few years ago, weekend voting was to allow thousands of students to vote, and I heard them saying on the radio that it worked.

So having weekday voting its easy enough to draw the conclusion that they prefer to not have students voting.

No references to excreta needed.

Morag

BattleCorp wrote: »

Why the feck do they have the voting on a weekday and not the weekend? Surely Saturday would make more sense.

Lots of people work away during the week (myself included sometimes) and so I won't make it home tomorrow to vote. Some students away in college are in the same boat.

You would surely get more people voting if it was held on a Saturday.

It seems to me that they have it midweek in order to prevent certain sections of the community voting.

Am I just being paranoid?

Students for the most part.
It is a away of disenfranchising young people and getting them out of the habit of voting and feeling like they don't count.

BattleCorp

davetherave wrote: »

Or...you know, maybe change your address on the Electoral Register to where you will be?

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.

Battered Mars Bar

davetherave wrote: »

But don't let that get in the way of a good public service bashing.....:rolleyes:

I won't

davetherave

BattleCorp wrote: »

Ah yes, but I'm where I'll be from one week to the other is a mystery to me. I often only find out at a few days notice. I'm at the whim of my employer.

Oh right, well that is a pain. Have you investigated the possibility of getting a postal vote due to occupational reasons?

BattleCorp

leggo wrote: »

I'd imagine it's for the opposite reason that you suggest OP: people are more likely to make time to vote during a weekday, driving to/from work etc. Whereas Saturdays are usually filled for the average family: kids playing football, weekly shopping, and so on. Voting isn't likely to make the 'To Do' list on a busy day like that. And there are many more average families than people working away from home.

The average family as you say at least have the chance to vote. It's up to them if they want to bother their ar5e going out to vote.

At least they have the option. I can't vote unless I decide to finish work early and drive 4 hours hometo vote and then 4 hours back up to work in the morning.

Voting should be made simple, and this type of scenario wouldn't happen if the voting was on a Saturday. There are plenty of ads in the media telling us to go out and vote but then they put obstacles in a good percentage of the population's way.

Kurz

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.

The huge number of people that are in your very specific and unique personal situation? It would exclude an awful lot more people if it was on Saturdays when people traditionally go to football matches, concerts, weekends away, visiting relatives and the like.

dr.bollocko

Personally I think it would be beneficial to the democratic process.

mod:

Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

The only people the government want to be voting are the public sector because they're puppets in their pockets the lot of them...and to boot they only work half a day anyway at most...probably finished at 3:30 I'd say sure who'd want to work after an extended hours lunch break really that's what I think there about that. That's why we've so many of them too, strength in numbers ye know, feckers.

This is the kind of crap that too often clouds the possibility of a decent level of discussion in an open forum on the internet.

Please do not post in this thread again.

Fair warning.

PM for clarification.

shancoduff

leggo wrote: »

I'd imagine it's for the opposite reason that you suggest OP: people are more likely to make time to vote during a weekday, driving to/from work etc. Whereas Saturdays are usually filled for the average family: kids playing football, weekly shopping, and so on. Voting isn't likely to make the 'To Do' list on a busy day like that. And there are many more average families than people working away from home.

Ah the average family,

don't forget about the people who would too lazy to leave the gaff to vote on a day off, like myself!

My name is URL

People work on Saturdays too. As for those 'away' at college, why haven't they updated their place of residence on the register? The problem doesn't lie with what day elections/referenda are held, it lies with the primitive way in which they are conducted.

BattleCorp

davetherave wrote: »

Oh right, well that is a pain. Have you investigated the possibility of getting a postal vote?

It's too late for me to do this now but it's what I'll do from now on. I would have registered for a postal vote but I was expecting to be home this week.

One thing though, don't you have to vote early if you are voting by post, ie. maybe 5 days before polling day?

Also, by voting early with a postal vote, would I not be missing out on some of the debate regarding the Treaty and therefore be making a possibly less informed decision than somebody voted on the day? You can tell I'm p1ssed off because I am picking an arguement with everything about this "voting-during-the-week-so-we-exclude-lots-of-people" sham.

LeinsterDub

Surely allowing postal votes would mean it wouldn't matter what day the vote is held as those interested but not available on the day could have their say?

LeinsterDub

davetherave wrote: »

BattleCorp wrote: »

Ah yes, but I'm where I'll be from one week to the other is a mystery to me. I often only find out at a few days notice. I'm at the whim of my employer.

Oh right, well that is a pain. Have you investigated the possibility of getting a postal vote due to occupational reasons?

Postal voting doesn't exist in Ireland

leggo

BattleCorp wrote: »

The average family as you say at least have the chance to vote. It's up to them if they want to bother their ar5e going out to vote.

At least they have the option. I can't vote unless I decide to finish work early and drive 4 hours hometo vote and then 4 hours back up to work in the morning.

Voting should be made simple, and this type of scenario wouldn't happen if the voting was on a Saturday. There are plenty of ads in the media telling us to go out and vote but then they put obstacles in a good percentage of the population's way.

Your circumstances do not represent 'a good percentage of the population', though. I doubt even 1% work in such constantly irregular locations that they can't even be in their constituency on polling day.

So, as handy as it would no doubt be for you if they changed the entire world to suit your very specific qualm, it's not very practical is it?

BattleCorp

Kurz wrote: »

The huge number of people that are in your very specific and unique personal situation? It would exclude an awful lot more people if it was on Saturdays when people traditionally go to football matches, concerts, weekends away, visiting relatives and the like.

Voting starts at 7am and goes on until 10pm. Plenty of time to find a couple of minutes to vote so I don't think football, concerts, etc should stop you voting.

Fair enough, I see your point about people being away, but some people are often away during the week too.

There are over 110,000 students in Ireland and a fair percentage of them go to college away from home. That's one huge group that voting is made awkward for.

BattleCorp

My name is URL wrote: »

People work on Saturdays too. As for those 'away' at college, why haven't they updated their place of residence on the register? The problem doesn't lie with what day elections/referenda are held, it lies with the primitive way in which they are conducted.

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.

tobsey

BattleCorp wrote: »

Voting starts at 7am and goes on until 10pm. Plenty of time to find a couple of minutes to vote so I don't think football, concerts, etc should stop you voting.

Fair enough, I see your point about people being away, but some people are often away during the week too.

There are over 110,000 students in Ireland and a fair percentage of them go to college away from home. That's one huge group that voting is made awkward for.

Aren't most, if not all, college courses finished for the summer?

BattleCorp

tobsey wrote: »

Aren't most, if not all, college courses finished for the summer?

I'm not only talking about tomorrow's vote. Voting has often happened midweek during the school year.

K-9

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Postal voting doesn't exist in Ireland

It does but it's very limited.

BazDel

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

LeinsterDub

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

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

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

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

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

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

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