Low turnout at polling stations.

There's always going to be people who can't cast their vote for one reason or another. Unexpected admission to hospital, illness at home, being away from home for work, study or leisure, car breaks down on the way to the polling station at 21:55, sudden water leak in the attic that you have to deal with and can't leave the house. The list of possibilities goes on and on.

You have a right to vote, not an obligation to vote. Your right to vote is accommodated as reasonably as possible - but like any right, there have to be practical limits to how far those accommodations go. For instance, there are accommodations available for people who are homebound due to illness or disability, and people who are long-term in hospital or nursing homes to vote remotely. But not every situation can be accounted for, especially last minute ones.

Anyway, this has nothing do do with your original query about voting quorum. In the absence of compulsory voting, it would mean that elections would have to be re-run if a certain percentage turnout was not achieved. And that would mean that the electorate would not be represented in the meantime. You'd effectively be punishing the electorate (including the people who did turn out to vote), for the actions of the people who didn't vote. And what would happen if the second poll didn't meet the quorum either? A third poll? Then a fourth? Chance are that people will in fact be less inclined to vote as fatigue sets in with constant re-running of the election. This is not to mention the extra expense of re-running polls merely based on turnout.

So implementing a quorum would be utterly impractical. One possible solution to your concern would be compulsory voting. And this is done in some countries, with fines for people who refuse to vote without valid cause. Australia and Brazil are two examples. The Netherlands had it until 1993. But globally, it's not a common feature of democracy. There's arguments for it and against it. Personally, I think that the non-participation in the democratic process is itself a democratic right.

Regarding the polling station that you claim closed before 9pm - I'd be interested to hear where that was. I haven't seen any mention of it, and it would be a highly unusual occurrence, given that legally they have to stay open until 10pm.

The state can only encourage but not force people to vote. If one is cynical about the choice, it’s up to individuals to pick, in their opinion, the least worst options, because somebody else is going to decide. If people leave the choice to a relative handful of electors, that is on them. Goodness knows people have been very vocal in recent times, so it’s on as many as represent the quieter sector of the citizenry to put their stamp on the shape of our politics. There’s a moral duty to do your best to vote and maintain democracy IMO, democracy was hard won and can be lost in a heartbeat.

I remember when I turned 18 my father (born 1922), who was more usually a Labour voter, literally pushed me out the door to go to polling station, reminding me of the importance to vote, having explained the PR system. He told me to vote according to my own conscience, not be guided by his own political ideals, ie some disdain for FF.

Later on in life, when my mother was elderly and I had to help her get to polling station and because of Rheumatoid Arthritis had difficulty holding the pencil steadily, I had to fill in voting form. I would ask her what her preferences were, but she would reply “you are still young it’s what might affect your future, that’s how I want to vote”.

If the Europeans were held on their own I think the turnout would barely get to 40%.

People don't care about the European Union.

My mother is classed as house bound, she's 80 has chronic Parkinson's and she still managed to get down to vote.

Lots of people in their 20 and 30's bitch moan and whine about how bad this country. I voted late on Friday, everybody around me was in their 40's.

If you want change you have to vote, otherwise the established politicians have no need to listen to younger people's voices. They give zero fúcks about them because they don't vote.

Maybe we should bring out voting over two days and make it compulsory

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting

I’m all for low turnouts.

It makes my vote all the more influential.

Its been stated already but there are always a number of people who cannot vote for one reason or another. But if you think that 50 percent of the eligible voters were in hospital or the polling station was closed for them?

Voter turnout was around the 49% last time I checked.

For the last G.E it was around 62% nationally.

The last referendum on care in the home was over 70% I think.

Voter apathy is very high in Ireland, probably down to the fact that we don't have much choice.. FF FG are basically two sides of a coin. Greens/Labour/Soc dem. will support a FFFG led Govt. SF don't offer as much positive change as people want.

Absolutely not, because such an arrangement could NOT be done securely.

I do agree that the expansion of postal voting should take place. It is uncommonly restrictive in Ireland. But I don't think it would make a massive difference to turnout for second-order elections.

not to mention those who have emigrated but are still registered to vote w

Most people are not aware, but you can actually register for a postal vote. I would say I am more politically aware than most and I only learned of this in some passing procedural comment from a count centre yesterday (i.e. the staff began by opening the postal votes).

Here is more information. Perhaps someone in one of these groups (say a member of the Gardai, or long term illness) would be more aware of the option, but its certainly not an option I heard being promoted from any Commisúin, media, state or political party message where registration in the run up to an election was being advocated.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government-in-ireland/elections-and-referenda/voting/registering-to-vote/

From the above link:
Most voters have to vote in person at an official voting centre. However, you may be eligible for a postal vote if you are:

• An Irish diplomat posted abroad, or their spouse or civil partner who is living abroad with them
• A whole-time member of the Defence Forces

You may also be eligible for a postal vote if you cannot go to a polling station because:

• You have an illness or disability
• You are studying full time at an educational institution in Ireland, which is away from the home address where you are registered
• You cannot vote at your local polling station because of your occupation, service or employment
• You are unable to vote at your polling station because you are in prison as a result of an order of a court
• You are a member of the Garda Síochána
• You are registered as an anonymous elector, or you are part of the household of an anonymous elector

Even worse than I thought so.

No, everyone has an opportunity to vote. If they decide not to vote, that's on them.