Turnout in the local election on Friday was the “lowest ever voter turnout rate for a local election contest in the history of the State .. and the first time ever that over half of the people on the electoral register did not turn out to vote” in the local contest, an analyst has said.
Election researcher Adrian Kavanagh of Maynooth University posted an illustrative graph on X showing the trend in voting from 1945 to 2024, and the movement in turnout between 45% and 70% of the electorate at this time.
“We have just had the lowest ever voter turnout rate for a local election contest in the history of the State – and moreover, this is the first time ever that over half of the people on the electoral register did not turn out to vote in a local election contest,” he wrote.
We have just had the lowest ever voter turnout rate for a local election contest in the history of the State - and moreover, this is the first time ever that over half of the people on the electoral register did not turn out to vote in a local election contest #LE24 pic.twitter.com/ULKKm9j7op
— Adrian Kavanagh (@AdrianKavanagh) June 10, 2024
Mr Kavanagh is a lecturer at the Maynooth University Department of Geography, and his main research interests focus on the geography of elections. He blogs at www.adriankavanaghelections.org offers insights from his electoral geography researches.
Turnout for the elections was reported as slow initially on Friday but picking up in the evening, following a well established pattern. However, as Mr Kavanagh pointed out, failing to reach 50% turnout is a new record – of a negative kind – for the state.
Some voters on X responded to the revelation of the low turnout with suggestions to increase the number of people casting their votes.
“Some simple ideas,” wrote one commentator, suggesting: every secondary school student once over 18 should be registered in school; I voted stickers given out at polling stations; 1 hour break given to all workers to vote on day of vote.
He also said that auto removal should be in place for those who die, and that the register should be examined for duplicates. Other said, however, “that people have lost faith in the so called democratic process. There is huge apathy.”
“What percentage of this do you think is down to duplication in the electoral rolls?,” asked one respondent. “The register is a mess. I had 5 cards delivered to an address, all former occupants,” replied another.
One Labour Councillor, Joanna Tuffy, said she experienced that “there are a lot of people registered to vote at addresses they no longer live at. I feel feel too much reliance on online registration may have exacerbated this. House to house visits are still needed to ensure better accuracy of the register.”