Presidential election date fails young voters

AS a young supporter of Senator David Norris, I am dismayed by the Government’s decision to hold the presidential election on Thursday, October 27.

This election offered my generation the chance to vote for the first time in a presidential election, and our participation will be negatively effected by this decision. This is particularly so given the problems encountered before the last election when students tried to change their registered address. The Government are well aware of this fact, and the failure to agree to Friday or weekend voting is an indictment of their supposed commitment to political reform. The reasons given for the decision by Minister Phil Hogan, namely that Monday, October 31, is a bank holiday and “to facilitate staff“, lacks credibility in the extreme. We would be better served if the electorate were given greater importance than staff for this — the first Presidential election in 15 years.

Barra Roantree