Low turnout at polling stations.

instead of compulsory voting, just get on with it and let people have postal ballots

The turnout in Germany was 65% nationally and a lot of that is due to the fact that people can get a postal ballot for no reason. So, if they are off visiting their parents or hiking in the mountains or whatever (and being germans they'd have that planned months in advance) they can get a postal ballot.

Theres some worries that it is open to fraud, but in essence someone would need to steal your post to get your election notification letter and after applying for a postal vote, steal your post again to get your ballot. Is a party or entity REALLY going to do that in an organised way ?

People have no real power; the system is rigged.

If Ireland has proper democracy, then we would not have the same people in power since the foundation of the State - FFG. Consider all the times there should have been a change in Government, yet we still have FFG. This is not democracy in action.

Compare Ireland to the extreme case of North Korea.

In North Korea, you know you have no choice who the next Government is going to be. If you speak out you'll probably end up in some horrible prison camp.

In Ireland, you think you have a choice. It's a much better way to keep the dissenting voices at bay. If you complain, you'll just be ignored.

Some people see it for what it is.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

So some people don't vote because there aren't enough options?

Why aren't there enough options, in the minds of these people I wonder?

We still have FF/FG because they are the largest parties in the state still - why - because no other group has managed to get a number of people together in a coherent fashion over a long enough period of time to challenge that - why? Maybe the people who vote get what they vote for.

Perhaps if the silent majority had gotten out and voted these things might change over time but what tends to happen is that FF/FG get a kicking every now and again over specific policies, then end up having to change their policies/prioritise specific areas based on what the electorate has wanted ahead of other parties being able to organise themselves fast enough.

I think that's a good thing with democracy.

There's plenty choice out there, but not necessarily parties/individuals that are organised well enough to really imact the status quo.

People who don't vote for the sake of not voting really need to take a long hard look at themselves.

It's not.

Some effort is required to vote - even if it is to spoil it with your own "none of the above" tick box.

Compulsory voting requires some effort.

Not voting doesn't require any effort whatsoever.

If you register online now, they do - but there's millions of existing registrations without.

I always spoil my vote.

I have never missed an election, and will always spoil my vote in the absence of a 'none of the above' option.

If you too would like to do that, it is easy to do. Just write 'spoil' or a message of your choice across your ballot paper.

Spoiled votes are counted. Without them, we'll never get actual real change.

How can you get real change by spoiling your vote?

They are counted, but have zero effect on the outcome of the election.

With them we'll never get change either…

Local/European elections have done around 50% turnout in recent cycles

I actually agree that if a voter genuinely doesn't want to vote for any of the parties/candidates on a ballot, spoiling their vote is a more effective way of communicating that dissatisfaction than simply not voting (which is simply interpreted as apathy)

If a large enough proportion of the electorate exists that were of that mind and created a national campaign on that basis, it would send a genuine message to the existing parties (or potentially provide the basis for the formation of a new party)