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Updated 20.10
THERE HAVE BEEN issues with spoiled papers in both Wexford and Waterford during the counting this evening, with one Wexford candidate particularly unimpressed.
Independent candidate for Wexford John Dwyer earlier pulled out of the contest there after a run-in with the returning officer over spoiled ballots.
“Robert Mugabe would be proud of how this election was conducted,” the former Sinn Féin councillor told TheJournal.ie.
We spotted a large bundle of papers under a table, but the returning officer said they were being discounted because they weren’t properly stamped.
Dwyer claims that he was initially told that 380 papers had been declared invalid, but that the returning officer later revised this figure down to 50.
“My team are experienced and they don’t tell lies,” Dwyer said.
To have the democratic process interfered with like that, it’s incompetence at its worst.
Dwyer likewise claims that the results of the returning officer’s investigation into the problem will not be made public, a fact he describes as “just quite bizarre”.
Waterford
Meanwhile, as many as 80 ballot papers at the counting centre for the Waterford constituency have been spoiled as the papers weren’t stamped.
Stamping a paper is the job of the presiding returning officer at each polling station when each voter presents him or herself.
Generally speaking a paper should be perforated appropriately before being handed to the individual voter.
A source at the count centre told TheJournal.ie that the spoiled papers came from around the county and were not limited to one polling box.
All told there were 400 spoiled votes discovered during the count at the Waterford centre.
At present just one of four seats has been filled in the constituency with Fianna Fáil’s first-time candidate Mary Butler fulfilling the quota of 10,341 at the first count.
The total turn-out in the county was 52,103.
The battle for the remaining three seats appears to be a shoot-out between Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane (who is very close to the quota after the first count), independent John Halligan, and Fine Gael’s John Deasy and Paudie Coffey.
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A big buala bus for that genius. Making Waterford look good.
That’s a hard task. Rebranding soft rolls as a speciality good and alleged passable weather versus being, well, Waterford. ..
Someone is getting there arse slapped
Their! There, there.
You’re ma.
Yizzer mah
You’re Ma will slap your arse with the you know what.
Ah what a dope, that’s me slapped.
The sad thing is, most likely no one will be repromanded or held to account in any way for this.
Presiding officers are not reappointed if unstamped ballot papers are in their specific ballot box and their payment can be withheld by the Returning Officer
Pedant
*reprimanded.. It’s the unspeakable for you Daffy. Although being a bear it will probably at best mildly irritate you.
I want to see a scrap between Daffy and Diarmuid, silverback vs brown bear. Reckon the bear would have too much strength and psycho buzz i.e. wants to eat everything, omnivorous chap is the bear. Gorilla wouldn’t be taking any prisoners either, so there might not be a victor.
Who would win in a fight, a grizzly bear or a silverback ape?
Silverbacks are very close to us, but bears do not trust us.
A government for the people any time soon? I do not think so. Fat rats rule OK.
Used to be a programme where they would get scientists to work out which creature would win in a fight.Shark vs crocodile ,tiger vs lion ,etc they very well could have done bear vs gorrilla ,it would be a good one alright!
Octopus versus Hyena.
Grizzly is a first cousin of the Polar bear. The only animals that might beat a polar bear in a fight would be a hippo or a rhino. Two Herbivores. Also a Giraffe would kick the shite out of the vast majority of enemies. A male tiger would have a chance but only if he caught him by surprise. Thankfully these magnificent beasts don’t share territory. Unless of course us humans get involved.
You had ONE JOB!!!!
Fortunately, with the state if healthcare, these doddery auld wans and lads probably won’t make it to the next election. So thanks for that Enda
Quite the contrary. These teachers will be very well looked after by Enda and now Michael. Screw the private tax payer and the guy that doesn’t get a vacation
Disgraceful – how hard is it to remember to stamp each voting paper? I wonder was it one individual who forgot and I wonder if the 80 spoiled votes were for one individual????
Read the story before commenting, the spoiled votes were from around the country and not from one polling box!
Read the story before commenting, the spoiled votes were from around the county and not from one polling box!
It’ll be easy to tell who it was, it’ll be the guy from Zimbabwe used to rigging votes for Mugabe !
That’s much worse! So instead of having one stupid person in Waterford you’re saying we have a few?…
If they can verify that this is the only vote from the person and is not a silly attempt to add multiple votes just let the votes in. The person didn’t make a mistake so their vote should count.
No they cant
No excuse for the voting papers not been stamped properly.
Voting centre staff are paid good money
Sitting at each table in the voting centre is a junior paid €250 and a senior paid€450. There is a supervisor in each voting centre paid €700.
People on standby in the returning officers headquarters are paid €70 if they are not used.
I’d be delighted if FG’s Paudie Coffey gets his arse kicked because he’s one of the most arrogant, egotistical TDs in the Dáil.
How anyone voted for him is beyond me.
Have to agree with you…..never met anyone so arrogant.
How hard a job is it!!
Didn’t receive a polling card in the post to brought my passport to the polling booth in Waterford.
Chatting for a while with the agents and noticed they hadn’t checked my ID.
Upon questioning I was informed that ‘We only check every fifth ID’.
This is unacceptable in my opinion.
Every single ID should be checked.
I was the only one in the booth at the time so it’s not as if they were overburdened either.
Not good.
They would have recognised you anyway from your album covers!
I asked that question last year aswell at the polling station and I got a dumbfounded look like I had asked the unquestionable question which to me is obvious so there is no voter fraud . They eventually said we ask some people for id but I wasn’t convinced ….
Sure they vote again in next weeks election
Sorry had a stupid moment, was annoyed and forgot it was an anonymous vote so no way of knowing who’s votes these clowns spoiled, clearly fairest way is to redo vote in that constituency, yes it’s only a small number, but their voice needs to matter too.
That was meant for Dan who replied to my original comment, I hold my hand up to a stupid moment
Mary Lou still not elected after 6 rounds of counting..SF transfer toxic.
Don’t be so bitter.
She was elected on the 6th count the guts of 3000 votes ahead of the next best you idiot.
I never said she wouldn’t be elected…but well done her…she’ll be a well paid mouthpiece in opposition unless you believe all the SF drivel about them only having the average industrial wage.
Elected to opposition benches = useless.
FG seem first-preference toxic.
Christ, is this idiot still here. Thought we’d get a rest from the anti left /anti SF nutters now the election is over.
Be accountable for ones auctions, no payment for offending officers ?
How the fcuk can the ballot paper not be stamped there is two people sitting at the desk.we’re they asleep
Gombeen from top to bottom start to finish. That’s Irish politics
Shoulda broken out the e-voting machines; all of this vote spoilage could have been avoided..
Correct, let’s build new ones. Who can we the contract to? Anyone 50 million to spare?
Can we have a referendum on croynism? No way Jose.
Anyone for e-voting ?
What sanction is a Returning Officer able to take against a Presiding Officer shown to be clearly incompetent in these circumstances? They have little enough to do in most polling stations and not stamping the ballot paper is unforgiveable
Small cow and far away comes to mind
have your say