Seanad debates
Wednesday, 5 March 2003
Local Government Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed).
Compulsory voting is not mentioned in the Bill. It is outrageous in this day and age that people do not vote, particularly as our ancestors fought for the right to do so. We know our history. Therefore, people should vote. There is no excuse for not doing so. A turnout of 40% or 50% in local elections is outrageous. Invariably, the people for whom we do most work do not vote. This happens across parties. The reality is that people come to us the next day, clap us on the back and tell us that but for their vote we would not have been elected. However, if one checks the register of electors, one will often find that they did not even vote.
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