It has been described today as “a political earthquake” and “a record shattering protest vote”: more than 200,000 people have spoiled their votes in the Presidential election, sending an unprecedented message to the political establishment.
As the last of the 43 constituencies announced completed counts on a low turnout of just 45.8% – the final tally of spoiled votes reached an astonishing 213,738 or 13% of the total ballot. In the 2018 presidential election, just 1.2 per cent of votes were spoiled, while the 2024 general election saw just 0.7pc of spoilt votes.
For many, the record number of protest votes was a clear signal to the government that a huge section of the electorate feel disenfranchised and unrepresented.
As expected, Catherine Connolly won the election by a landslide, but for many the real story of the day is the sheer number of spoiled votes with many referencing either blocked candidates like Maria Steen, immigration, or the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in Citywest.
While the national average percentage of spoiled votes has reached an historic 13%, some constituencies recorded a far higher share, with the percentage of votes spoiled in Dublin Mid West reaching a high of 20% on the final count. Within constituencies there were also some astonishing results.
“Today saw electoral history in Ireland with a record shattering protest vote in the form of spoiled ballots,” businessman Declan Ganley, who had called for voters to spoil their ballots in protest at what he saw as an undemocratic election, said. “There was a very good ground campaign in some areas and hats off to those brilliant people that did them.”
Mr Ganley spoke with chef Paul Treyvaud, campaigner Elaine Mulally, commentator Michael McCarthy, businessman Nick Delehanty and others at a recent Spoil the Vote initiative where they said that spoiling the vote would send a message to government.
Today, Mr Treyvaud said on X that the media had tried to play down momentum behind the spoil the vote initiative, and that the 200,000 people who had spoiled their vote should “stand up and take a bow”. He said that the government needed to listen and to put the Irish people first, and that the enormous number of spoiled votes was “an incredible result” for “people power”, adding that it was only the beginning.
Elaine Mullally said: “I value my vote and I have voted for over 30 years. The government blocked three independent candidates from running in this presidential election.” Before voting day, she spoke to Ryan Casey, partner of murdered schoolteacher Ashling Murphy who had said that “incompetent, unrelatable, shallow, puppet candidates” were allowed on the ballot, while “highly popular presidential candidates like Nick Delehanty and Maria Steen” were “undemocratically blocked”.
“A narrative was dismantled today. Well done to the people who went out and spoilt their vote. It’s a big momentum win,” commentator Michael McCarthy said, taking aim at those who said those spoiling their vote were “far-right”.
Dublin City Cllr Malachy Steenson, who was one of the first to call for spoiled votes in the Presidential election, said he wanted to send “a huge thank you to everyone who played a part”.
Independent TD for Offaly, Carol Nolan, who had strongly backed Independent candidate Maria Steen said: “There is no defending this fiasco. The spoiled vote percentage reflects the backlash from a thoroughly infuriated electorate that felt locked out of this process right from the start”.
“What we are witnessing today is the public registration of unprecedented levels of disgust at the obstructionist tactics engaged in by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. As a result, almost the entire process has been emptied of integrity,” said Deputy Nolan.
Aontú leader, Peadar Tóibín, said that he had spoiled his vote yesterday and instead shown his preference for Maria Steen on the ballot paper. “The number of spoiled votes is a political earthquake. Its a 2 fingers to the political establishment. The political establishment excluded the voices of so many people. FF & FG are damaging Irish democracy. Aontú fought hard to give people a democratic choice,” he said.
The National Party said that they had distributed more than 60,000 leaflets at doors in a “Kick Them Up the Áras” campaign, and that result showed the work of volunteers who “campaigned heavily right across the nation” to produce results in the constituencies.
Some commentators noted that less than a quarter of the electoirate had actually voted for either of the two candidates in the race for the Áras: “77.5% of the Irish electorate either stayed home, spoiled their vote, or voted for someone they knew wasn’t running anymore. Only 22.5% of the electorate voted for either Heather Humphreys or Catherine Connolly. A farce.”
Businessman and campaigner, Nick Delehanty, who sought a nomination but was blocked at council route, welcomed the huge number of spoiled votes: “I predicted 10% spoiled votes & was laughed at. But I’m honestly delighted so many people turned out to make their disgust known. Time that FF & FG leadership learn the ultimate lesson: Vox populi, vox Dei.”
Independent TD for Tipperary, Mattie McGrath, said that “the people have voted, and the real talking points from this election are the enormous number of spoiled ballots and the very low turnout together with an overwhelming rejection of the Governments candidate. This election represents a humiliation for the government. Low participation and record-breaking spoiled votes show a public weary of being ignored and voters have delivered a clear message. ”
Fine Gael TD, Michael Murphy told RTÉ today that the spoiled vote cannot be ignored and that he had come across voter apathy for the candidate and the current process on the doorsteps during the campaign.