Election turnout steady in Tipperary but surge of spoiled votes sparks political concern

Voter turnout in Tipperary was not as low as initially feared, with a notable after-work surge on Friday evening pushing participation to 44 percent in Tipp South and 47 percent in Tipp North, figures broadly in line with previous presidential elections.

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One of the more striking aspects of the count was the proportion of invalid votes. Roughly 12 to 13 per cent of ballots in both Tipperary North and South were declared spoiled. Returning officials noted that some ballots were clearly marked incorrectly or left blank, while others contained protest statements or commentary.

Seamus Healy, Independent TD for Tipp South and a strong supporter of newly elected President Catherine Connolly, described the low engagement of eligible voters as a troubling indicator for society.

“Half the population didn’t turn out to vote. It’s something that indicates that there’s a difficulty between how ordinary people live their lives and how the political system operates and how politicians see the system. Generally speaking, there’s a social contract between the public and the political system. That has been breaking down over the last number of years,” he said.

Fine Gael’s Michael Murphy also acknowledged the problem, citing both voter apathy and the volume of spoiled ballots as evidence of disengagement.

“I knew that voter apathy was very evident during the campaign and again I think that’s translated into the volume of spoiled votes, not just here in Tipperary, but around the country as well,” Murphy said. “Somebody has pointed out to me that in some boxes, certainly some boxes around the country, the level of spoiled votes was greater than the combined vote of both Heather and Jim Gavin. I think that does merit serious reflection, particularly in terms of the nomination process.”

Murphy suggested that reforms to the nomination procedure for future presidential elections may be necessary to address the problem and encourage greater voter participation.

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