GAA to introduce electronic voting

ELECTRONIC VOTING is to be introduced by the GAA at next year’s Annual Congress, replacing the traditional method of passing motions and voting by a show of hands process.

“We want to move the GAA into a more modern era,” explained Director of Communications Lisa Clancy. “What will happen is that you’ll have a speaker up speaking and when a vote is taken, you’ll be able to see the result straight away on the screen.”

Top GAA officials felt the age-old method of showing hands was too slow and decreed the new system necessary after this year’s Congress in County Down when the sheer scale of the 123 motions on the agenda meant that the debate on certain issues was hurried.

“It (the new e-voting method) will be fast and accurate. It’s a big step and we’ll review it after this year’s congress,” added Ms Clancy.

Another reason the GAA has taken the measure is to help improve decision making, with officials citing examples of ambiguity at key meetings in the past. Most famously, the yay-or-nay system caused uproar in 2001 when the critical debate over amending Rule 42 failed by a single vote.

Calls for a recount at the time were denied and it took another four years for the motion to be passed. The new system, it is hoped, will eliminate the likelihood of same reoccurring.

However, the e-voting wont be used to find a successor to current president Christy Cooney. That will be done, as usual, by secret ballot.

The move will ensure next April’s annual congress in Mullingar will be a landmark one for the association.