A campaign to encourage people to spoil their vote in next week’s Presidential Election was launched today in Dublin City Centre.
Members of the ‘Spoil the Vote’ campaign present in Dublin today included chef and author Paul Treyvaud, entrepreneur Declan Ganley, businesswoman Elaine Mullally, barrister Una McGurk and content creator Michael McCarthy.
Mr Treyvaud told the press conference that there was an active effort to “try and suppress democracy.”
Ms Mullally described the campaign as an organic, grassroots movement that had formed out of frustration that the people of Ireland had been given “no choice” in the Presidential Election.
“Eight of us came together. We all have relatively large social media accounts. It’s a completely non-funded campaign, but we all came together to work together and to give the people of Ireland some kind of hope through a visible campaign.”
Ms Mullally encouraged anyone who was unsure of who to vote for to spoil the vote.
“If you’re fed up with the way the Government has handled this whole election, spoil the vote,” she said. “Nobody owns this campaign. If you show up and spoil your vote next Friday, you’re equally part of the campaign.”
“We’re asking people to spoil their vote because we believe that the people of Ireland were not given a choice in this election. It’s now a two horse race. There is no centre-right Conservative candidate on the ballot. If you’re unsure about whether to turn up, please do, and spoil your vote to send a very clear signal back to the Government.”
The Portarlington native said that whilst spoiling your vote would not change the outcome of the election, it would make the Government realise “just how many people are not happy.”
Mr Treyvaud said he joined the campaign because of his role as a father and a businessman, adding that he views himself as a representative of others across the country who may be “sick and tired” of how the Government has “made a mockery out of our democracy.”
“The concept of Spoil the Vote stems from what the Government has done, and how they’ve handled this election. None of us wanted to be here today, nor would we be here today if we had gotten the freedom of choice and freedom of democracy, which would have been having more candidates on the ballot sheet. We can argue about why those candidates are not on the ballot, but the reality is that under no circumstance, should a Government dictate to its own people who they can and cannot vote for.
“If we allow this precedent to be set, what follows next?” the TV chef asked.
He added that his intention to spoil the vote had nothing to do with Heather Humphreys or Catherine Connolly on a personal level, but that he wanted to see “three or four” other candidates on the ballot to widen the scope of choice for voters.
“I wanted to see those candidates talking, debating, speaking, and having a chance to win people over. I don’t know which one I would have voted for, but I wanted that choice. And when we eliminate the choice from the people of Ireland, that’s when we have a serious problem. That’s why I am saying today that I’m spoiling the vote. The most important message we can get out there is ‘Please vote.’ Because sitting at home will do absolutely nothing.”
An Irish Times Ipsos B&A poll released on Thursday indicated that 6% intend to spoil their vote on polling day, however Mr Treyvaud said the campaign was confident that the final figure would be “a hell of a lot higher,” referring to the size of the No vote in 2024’s Family and Care referendums.
“If you’re sitting at home and you’re sick and tired about how the cost of living is going through the roof, and how your salary is diminishing all the time. If you’re at home and you’re fed up with the way the government is treating the people of this country, then I would encourage you to spoil the vote.”
Entrepreneur Declan Ganley said he and a whole cohort of the Irish electorate were not represented on the ballot paper. Following barrister Maria Steen’s failure to get on the ballot, falling short by just two Oireachtas nominations, Mr Ganley said he would be writing “1 Maria Steen” on the ballot.
Mr Ganley said that if voters did not feel represented or motivated by Connolly or Humphreys, there was another option.
“There’s an option to register a protest vote, to register your dissatisfaction with what we see as the rigging of the ballot that has taken place and that is to cast a spoiled vote,” the businessman said.
Mr Ganley further said that he wanted to see reforms made to the presidential nomination process, including allowing 10,000 or 20,000 signatures from voters willing to sign and nominate candidates, allowing popularly nominated candidates to get on the ballot paper.
Content creator Michael McCarthy said that he was spoiling his vote because he didn’t have anyone to vote for, describing it as a protest against the Government.
Mr McCarthy, who has close to 900k followers on the platform Instagram through his account ‘Think About This’ told the conference that the Government had blocked “great candidates” who he said should have been given the chance to debate and exchange ideas while representing a sizeable chunk of the electorate.
“It’s essentially a rigged election,” he said. “And when someone rigs the game, you don’t take part in it. You decide not to take part.”
Barrister Una McGurk told Gript that the election had been a “fiasco.”
“There’s no better way of registering your protest against this fiasco of an election which has been organised by the Government and by the establishment. The best way to spoil your vote is to make sure that you don’t put a number beside any of the three names on the ballot, and write anything you want. You can write the name of a candidate of your choice,” Ms McGurk said.
“This will make your vote count,” she added. The former Senior Counsel quoted from the current chair of the electoral commission, Ms Justice Baker in remarks made relating to the European elections in 2024: “There will be a protest vote, and it’s absolutely people’s right to do that. There is no intention to take away that right or to stop it in any way.”
“Not only is it okay for you to spoil your vote,” said Ms McGurk. “It is the best way to register your discontent with the manner in which this government is carrying out this election.”
Others involved in the campaign include Nick Delahanty, Eddie Hobbs, Ivor Cummins, and Aidan Joyce.