THE LOCAL AND European elections are in full swing as posters go up, candidates up and down the country knock on doors, loiter around supermarkets and shopping centres and do everything they possibly can to secure your vote.

As the build-up to 23 May continues, TheJournal.ie will you bring you a round-up of some of the weird and wacky things that we’ve spotted, been sent or observed while covering the election.

Here’s our selection this week….

1. The Fine Gael candidate who’s everywhere (and inaudible) 

Kieran Binchy has mastered the art of moving around Dublin at lightning speed as well as the all important hand gestures, but it’s unfortunate we can’t hear him saying much:

2. The People Before Profit candidate who’s “just sayin’”: 

In contrast to Binchy here’s a much better campaign video produced by John Flanagan who walks around Dublin rather than using the Star Trek transporter:

3. The Fine Gael candidate who you should vote for because he’s in the Aldi ad

Meet Liam Brereton who wants your vote for, among other reasons, the fact he was in the Aldi ad:

Irish Election Literature Irish Election Literature

4. The independent candidate who can’t spell independent 

And he’s not the only one:

Irish Election Literature Irish Election Literature

5. The smug town councillor 

Amid much poster controversy this week, we received a nice email from Tramore Town councillor Joe Conway who said he’d never hung up a poster in his life yet he’d managed to top the poll in 2009.

“I believe them to be tawdry, tacky and fundamentally vitiating of democracy,” he told us. If only some candidates who’ve been breaking the law this week shared his views.

6. The cat who’s voting for the Shinners

Although they differ with Sinn Féin on some issues, our feline friend hopes to iron out the differences before 23 May:

Noeleen Reilly Noeleen Reilly

Sorry.

7. Vote for Dan McCarthy 

He’s the one on the far right, just in case you weren’t sure:

Irish Election Literature Irish Election Literature

‘Things got crazy’: Row breaks out after local candidate removes another’s poster

ESB warns candidates: Don’t put your posters on electrical poles or you may die