Tipperary polling station staff say they couldn't vote in referendum

Polling officers in the Lower Ormond end of the Offaly constituency were angered by a decision not to allow them transfer their vote from Tipperary into Offaly.

The Tipperary Star understands that in normal circumstances, polling station staff can transfer their vote to where they are stationed on the day of a referendum as it is the one ballot paper for the entire country. They sign a form to allow the transfer of their ballot and as an undertaking not to vote in their normal polling station.

The staff would be registered to vote in Tipperary but were working in the Offaly constituency for the referendum.

Parts of Tipperary were transferred into Offaly constituency under the last boundary review but will revert to Tipperary next time around. 

The issue remained unresolved up to the close of polling at 10pm last night. The Tipperary Star believes it arose because no transfer papers were issued to presiding officers and the date for registration for a postal vote or to be on the supplementary register of voters was prior to the appointment of polling station election staff.