First Electronic Vote in the Dáil

Victor

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2002/0228/1292237377HMDECLANDEREK.html

Dail's first electronic vote gives TDs a bit of a laugh
By Declan Fahy

The first electronic vote in the Dáil ended in good-humoured confusion last night, with the Ceann Comhairle announcing the result incorrectly.

TDs were voting on the motion: "Should Dublin have two Gaelic football teams?"

Using the new electronic voting system, they made their decision by pressing a green "Tá" or a red "Níl" button in front of them. They had a minute to make their feelings known, the clock on a big screen over the press gallery counting down the seconds while the accumulating vote was displayed.

In the end, the vote was 87 against the creation of two teams and 44 in favour. But the Ceann Comhairle, Mr Seamus Pattison, in what could have been a Freudian slip, called the results in reverse.

Dublin's most prominent supporter, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was not present for the vote.

Journalists had their backs to the big screen, but they could see the vote unfolding on tiny monitors located in drawers under the gallery bench.

First off the mark on the historic occasion was Fianna Fáil's Kildare South TD, Mr Seán Power, who was quick to vote against the motion.

Fianna Fáil TDs experienced an unprecedented buzz when they had their party's first ever free vote. The last one for Fine Gael was in 1974 when, topically, the then Taoiseach, Mr Liam Cosgrave, crossed the chamber to vote against his Government's contraception Bill.

But the deputies did not seem to be taking the vote too seriously. It seems that absent TDs had their votes cast for them in some cases. "Who'll check the votes against the numbers of people present," joked Mr Charles Flanagan (FG Laois/Offaly). "Two people beside me voted," he said, pointing to two empty seats.

When the vote was incorrectly announced, there were cries of "fix, fix". But the Ceann Comhairle brought a light-hearted end to the proceedings when he quipped: "Don't turn this into a political football."

billy the squid

Was just wondering are there on any occasions where there is a need for a secret ballot in the Dail.

and if so does this electronic voting system herald the end of this.

davros

Was just wondering are there on any occasions where there is a need for a secret ballot in the Dail.

No. TDs are not voting on behalf of themselves but on our behalf. We need to know how they vote.

In fact, now that they have electronic voting, I think they should make it even more transparent. Each recorded vote should be archived on the Internet with each deputy's name beside a YES, NO or ABSENT. For an example, look at this from the US Senate:
Senate vote

I sent this suggestion to the chap who maintains the Oireachtas debate archive but I haven't received a reply.