Longer lines and fewer boxes await Kerry voters

Bigger ballot papers with voters taking longer than ever to select their preferences, and fewer ballot boxes, will result in longer queues and pressures at polling stations in Kerry.

Special voting arrangements have taken longer than normal, and voters everywhere will take more time before casting their vote in local and European papers, Kerry County Registrar Padraig Burke said.

This, coupled with fewer ballot boxes in Kerry, because 42 polling booths have been taken out to reduce costs, is likely to see queues at traditional rush-hour periods, Mr Burke warned.

Special arrangements have been in place over the past week in nursing homes and other facilities for voters unable to get to polling stations on polling day.

Presiding officers have reported that voters are taking longer than usual, Mr Burke said. “The special voting took twice as long as usual. These are voters who are engaged and genuinely interested, serious people who take their democracy seriously and know what is going on. But it has taken them more time than it usually does.”

Huge ballot papers for the European elections, where 15 candidates are running for the South constituency, are mirrored by larger than normal ballot papers to accommodate the extra candidates in the now four local electoral wards in Kerry.

In Killarney there are 16 candidates running for the new 8-seater electoral area.

Voters will be placing the ballot papers for both the European and the local electoral areas into the same box in the 216 polling booths in Kerry, resulting in busier booths and heavier ballot boxes.

Mr Burke says the count is likely to go into a third day in Killarney where all ballot papers will be segregated on Saturday. It will be 7pm before a first count gets under way, and only a first count of the local area is likely before resuming on Sunday. Tallies too will take longer, given the more cumbersome papers.

“My concern is if there is a bigger turnout, especially in urban areas where there are fewer boxes, some people may not get to vote,” Mr Burke said, urging voters to avoid the traditional late rush — voters will have to be inside the precincts of polling stations before 10pm in order to vote.

Three full days have been booked at the aura count centre in Killarney for what is expected to be a marathon count for the first ever municipal authority elections.

Counting staff have been reduced by between 15 and 20 and will have to do more work for less money, Mr Burke has also confirmed.

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