One person one vote

expectationlost

does concept 'one person one vote' imply equal weight to votes (on first count)? yes or no?

Some of the new senators have proposed a Seanad [Reform] Bill http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/independent-senators-sponsor-seanad-reform-bill-1.2677439 which isn't available to the public yet but is based on the the Seanad Reform Working group report http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/News/Government_Press_Releases/Working_group_on_Seanad_Reform_.html
and draft bill http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Work_Of_The_Department/Protocol/Working_Group_on_Seanad_Reform/Seanad_Bill_2015_.pdf

The report and bill are based on the notion of avoiding a referendum, they want to change it as much as they can up to that point so are basically proposing 30 votes be voted on by the general public, 13 by politicians (TDs senators and councillors) , the constitutioally provided for graduate and Taoiseach's 11 nominees.


Here is new Senator Alice Mary Higgins on RTE saying she want to reform the Seanad based on based on one person one vote at 3mins 45 http://www.rte.ie/cspodcasts/media.mp3?c1=2&c2=16951747&ns_site=test&ns_type=clickin&rte_vs_ct=aud&rte_vs_sc=pod&rte_mt_sec=radio&rte_vs_sn=radio1&rte_mt_pub_dt=2016-06-08&rte_mt_prg_name=test-todaywithseanorourke&title=The%20New%20Seanad%20&c7=http%3A%2F%2Fpodcast.rasset.ie%2Fpodcasts%2Faudio%2F2016%2F0608%2F20160608_rteradio1-seanorourke-thenewsean_c21001368_21001376_232_.mp3&r=http%3A%2F%2Fpodcast.rasset.ie%2Fpodcasts%2Faudio%2F2016%2F0608%2F20160608_rteradio1-seanorourke-thenewsean_c21001368_21001376_232_.mp3 again we can't read the bill she's talking about and it hasn't been published

Elaine Byrne who was on the working group also used the phrase 'on the basis of one person, one vote' in an article discussing Dail Reform http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/one-citizen-one-vote-time-to-reform-the-seanad-elite-31139839.html

and the phrase the principle of one person one vote is used many times in the report http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Work_Of_The_Department/Protocol/Working_Group_on_Seanad_Reform/2nd_version_Final_Seanad_Reform.pdf

both of them are claiming that the majority of the Seanad will be based on one person one vote 36/ out of 60, 30 general + 6 university consitutuency out 60, the bill inlcudes a provisions that people can only vote once in either the graduate constituencies (not for each degree they have as it is now) or in the general public vocational panel constituencies but even then the votes for those 36 seats are not of the same weight, how can 'one person vote' ever be applied to the 6 graduate only votes?

(Senator Victor Boyhan mentioned one person, one vote too on the first day of the Seanad too in relation to their reform efforts
https://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2016-06-08a.14)

so I've explained why Im asking but the question I want an answer to is does the concept and phrase 'one person one vote' inherently imply equal weight to the votes (on first count)? yes or no?

Sam Russell

If one accepts the one person - one vote, then the time to have the Senate election is at the time of the general election. Each voter could ask for their preferred panel and vote on that one panel.

This would make it impossible for unsuccessful TDs to stand as they would not be unsuccessful at the time the vote is taken.

Currently there is a rural bias because the number of eligible voters is higher in rural areas due to the number of councillors having smaller constituencies in rural areas.