A MAJOR issue has come to light with the ballot papers in the Limerick City constituency as voters went to the polls in General Election 2024 today, and it could possibly render the whole election in the constituency void.
Electoral law states that candidates must be listed on the ballot paper in alphabetical order, but voters in Limerick City were asked today to cast their votes in order of preference on a ballot paper which put Sinn Féin’s Maurice Quinlivan and Dean Quinn (The Irish People party) ahead of Willie O’Dea (FF) and Elisa O’Donovan (Social Democrats), who come higher up in an alphabetic run.
Candidates who believe their finishing position after the count could be adversely affected by the mistake could be entitled to demand a re-vote.
Deputy Willie O’Dea heard of the mistake for the first time when contacted by the Limerick Post this Friday evening and said he was “stunned”.
“A number of people said to me my name was quite far down the paper, but it was a busy day and I didn’t see the mistake,” Deputy O’Dea said.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable and I will be demanding to know on Monday who was it drew up the ballot layout and how this happened.”
The veteran Fianna Fáil politician agreed that the issue could overturn the election if taken to task.
If any candidate suffers as a result of a maring of several hundred votes, it is entirely likely that the result will be challenged on the grounds of the paper being wrongly drawn up.
Meanwhile, Deputy O’Dea also described as “a disgrace” the fact that many voters on the northside of the city failed to receive their voting cards.
“Half of the northside were left without any cards and people contacted me to say they went to the polling booths with ID to discover they were not on the register at all,” Deputy O’Dea alleged.
“It’s everyone’s democratic right to vote and it’s a disgrace that this could happen. I will want to know who is responsible.”
