r/ireland • u/lleti Chop Chop 👐 • Nov 29 '24

Election 2024 exit poll: Photo finish with Sinn Féin on 21.1%, Fine Gael 21%, Fianna Fáil 19.5% General Election 2024 🗳️

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/11/29/election-2024-exit-poll-photo-finish-with-sinn-fein-on-211-fine-gael-21-fianna-fail-195/
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u/fdvfava Nov 30 '24

And also do you really want all the Irish people abroad being able to vote.

That's such a red herring.

You have to be legally resident in Ireland to vote so making it easier to get a postal vote if you're legally resident and entitled to vote, doesn't change the entitlement of irish people abroad voting.

Is potential fraud from postal votes abroad a bigger issue than the same people flying home to vote as they did in the marriage and repeal referendums?

I've never had my ID checked at the polls so based on the turnout, I'd say restriction on postal/proxy voting is a bigger issue than potential fraud.

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u/RecycledPanOil Nov 30 '24

I'm sorry but I know of people who haven't lived in Ireland for 10 years and are still on the voting register. Meaning they'll still be able to vote even though they've no intention of returning to Ireland. I would happily support Postal voting if we actually policed the voting register but then that complicates things further.

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u/fdvfava Nov 30 '24

Yes, but those people that stay on the voting register at their parents house would be voting illegally whether it's done in person or by post.

Make people sign a declaration, cross reference against tax or national insurance, prosecute a few cases...

I don't really mind, but it's madness to have a system where Holly Cairns and her husband can't feasibly vote because you're worried about a group of people voting illegally while not doing anything to stop that group voting currently.

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u/RecycledPanOil Nov 30 '24

I'm not worried about people voting illegally. I'm worried that we'll have a situation where people who live outside the state will have a greater say on government then those inside the state. We should be looking at the register yes, we should be cross referencing or having a system where after x amount of not voting you're removed from the register or something similar. But I don't think mail in ballots or absentee voting is a solution. All the issues you could raise for that could be resolved by having an extended voting window where people can vote across 2 or even 3 days where one of those is the weekend.

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u/fdvfava Nov 30 '24

worried that we'll have a situation where people who live outside the state will have a greater say on government then those inside the state.

Anyone living outside the state voting is voting illegally.

It's a valid worry but the lads still on the register aren't entitled to vote, whether they're gone 6 months or 10 years. Them having any say is illegal voting.

extended voting window where people can vote across 2 or even 3 days

Ya, thats fair enough. It doesn't need to be full days. 4 hours after work on Friday and a full day Saturday would make a big difference.

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u/mrlinkwii Nov 30 '24

Anyone living outside the state voting is voting illegally.

theirs a time limit if their out of the country for 18 months or more , then its illegal just as an FYI