Going to the polls - Cast a vote, it is a duty

There is little excuse for eligible voters not fulfilling their democratic duty in casting their ballots today in both the presidential election and the two constitutional referenda. Even for those who might prefer that some other presidential candidate were on the ballot paper today, those voters still have a choice of seven candidates.

This is the largest number of candidates in the country’s history, two more than the previous record — the five candidates who contested the presidential election in 1997. Voting is not only a right that should be treasured; it is also a responsibility.

The entitlement to vote seems to be most appreciated by those who at some time have been denied that right. Throughout what has been called the Arab Spring, there have been revolutions in one Arab country after another demanding democracy.

Equal suffrage for men and women in this country was achieved in 1922, with the establishment of the Irish Free State. It was a measure of our independence, because women in Britain did not get equal suffrage until 1928. In historical terms, such democracy is a comparatively recent phenomenon, so we should not take it for granted.

Today’s presidential election is actually only the seventh time in over seventy years that the Irish electorate has had a direct say on who is to be president of this country.

In all, only five different people have been popularly elected president. The fact that two — the last two — of those popularly elected presidents were women is a testament to our democracy. It should be an encouragement for all our citizens to participate actively in fulfilling their democratic duties.

There are also two important referenda on constitutional amendments on which the electorate must decide today. Ever since the 1995 Supreme Court ruling that the Government must provide equal funding for both sides in a referendum campaign, the referenda have lacked the excitement of some earlier campaigns.

Holding today’s referenda in conjunction with the presidential election is clearly an encouragement for more people to vote on these issues of constitutional change. Prior to today’s referenda there have been fourteen other referenda on Constitutional Amendments since 1995.

The electorate rejected three of those amendments. In 2002 an amendment was defeated that would have strengthen the constitutional ban on abortion so that the risk of suicide could not be invoked as legitimate grounds for abortion. The other two amendments rejected were in relation to the Nice and Lisbon Treaties. Both were subsequently ratified by other referenda.

Amendments ratified by the electorate since the 1995, include a constitutional prohibition of the death penalty, permission for the introduction of divorce, restrictions on the right of citizenship, authority for courts to deny bail in certain circumstances, for the High Court to override cabinet confidentiality in the public interest, and a specification that local government elections must be held ever five years.

The public is being asked today in one referendum to allow the cutting of judges’ pay, and the other amendment would permit Oireachtas committees to make factual findings. The electorate must decide and all should play their part.