Deputy Pearse Doherty has welcomed the decision by Government and opposition parties to support legislation to allow islanders to vote in elections and referenda on the same day as voters on the mainland.
Speaking immediately following last night’s Dáil debate on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, Deputy Doherty said he welcomed the decision.
“I very much welcome the decision by Government and opposition parties and Deputies to support this legislation which, once enacted, will enable voters on our islands to cast their ballots on the very same day as voters here on the mainland.
“I have long championed this change to the current legislation, and since 2011 I have repeatedly made calls on successive Governments to end the discriminatory and undemocratic practice of forcing islanders to vote on separate designated polling days before the majority of voters headed to the polls.”
He added that on previous occasions when this issue was brought before the Dáil, he strongly argued that having separate polling days for island voters, many of whom live on islands off our own coast of Donegal, was unconstitutional.
“This is because the current system whereby returning officers designate separate polling days on off-shore islands, while at the same time demanding that islanders must register for postal voting before the same registration deadline as applies to all other voters, meant that island voters were effectively prevented from applying for a postal vote as closing dates often expired before polling dates on the islands had even been announced.
“Effectively, this practice has meant that many islanders have, for years, been prevented from casting their ballots because late designation meant that they could not say, with any degree of certainty, if they would or would not be in a position to cast their ballot on polling day should a voter be away from home during polling, as the date for voting was unknown to them.
“This disgraceful practice has for far too long discriminated against island voters by leaving them disenfranchised, dejected and without a voice in many of our elections and referenda and it is something which ought to have been addressed years ago.
“Separate polling days on the islands compared to the mainland is an antiquated practice, and serves no practical purpose in a modern democracy.
“These islands are mere miles off our coast, and tonight’s decision by members of the Dáil to support this amendment to end early voting on our islands is very good news for island voters – the majority of whom live here in the Constituency of Donegal.
“This Bill, sponsored by Deputy Ó Cuív and once enacted, will ensure that island voters have and enjoy the same fair treatment and protection of their democratic rights as we here on the mainland and makes sure that islanders have the right to cast their vote after having engaged in a proper and thorough debate.
“I very much welcome the decision by the majority of Deputies present during tonight’s debate to support this Bill and I now look forward to seeing the legislation continue to the next stage and ultimately enacted.”
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