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Counting the ballot papers for the local and European elections at the RDS in Dublin earlier this year © RollingNews.ie

General election: How does PR-STV work and should I vote the whole way down the ballot paper?

Allow us to explain.

LAST UPDATE | 27 Nov 2024

IT’S A QUESTION that comes up every election cycle: How exactly does our voting system work?

It’s often quickly followed by another question: Should I vote the whole way down the ballot paper?

Fear not, we’ve got you covered. Ahead of Friday’s general election, let’s take a look at how the Irish voting system works.

Proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV) is relatively unique, Ireland and Malta are the only countries to use it. A ‘party list’ system is more common internationally.

So, what exactly is PR-STV and how does it work? And what will the ballot papers look like?

How do I vote? 

The ballot papers will show the names of the candidates in alphabetical order, along with their photographs and their party emblem (if they have one).

Voters indicate who they would like to see elected in order of preference – so, you should write 1 opposite your first choice, 2 opposite your second choice, 3 opposite your third choice, and so on.

Sample-European-Ballot-512x1024 Sample ballot paper Electoral Commission Electoral Commission

Do not make any other mark on the ballot paper. If you do, your vote may be considered invalid/spoilt and not counted.

You should not write X or tick the box beside candidates, this could also spoil your vote.

When you have voted you should fold your ballot paper, return and place it into the ballot box at the same station.

How does my vote work?

Only one of the preferences in your vote is active at a time.

Your vote stays with your first preference candidate unless and until they do not need it anymore – either because they have been elected with a surplus of votes over the quota, or eliminated from the race.

If your first preference candidate is elected, your vote is transferred to your second preference. If your second choice is elected or eliminated, your vote may be transferred to your third choice, and so on.

Your vote could transfer a number of times at the same election to your lower preference candidates, depending on how many people you give a preference to.

If a candidate receives more than the quota on any count, the surplus votes are transferred to the remaining candidates in proportion to the next available preferences indicated by voters.

As explained by Citizens Information, if the quota to be elected is 5,000 votes and candidate A receives 6,000 first preference votes at the first count, they are elected with a surplus of 1,000 votes.

Let’s say that out of candidate A’s 6,000 total votes, 30% of voters gave their second preference to candidate B, and 20% gave their second preference to candidate C. In this scenario, B receives 300 votes (30% of 1,000) and C receives 200 votes (20% of 1,000).

In a previous episode of The Explainer podcast, Virgin Media’s Political Correspondent Gav Reilly noted that your vote works a “little bit harder” in Ireland than in countries such as the US or UK “where you only get one vote, you vote for one candidate”.

In Ireland, if your first choice candidate gets eliminated or elected early “and they’ve got spare votes that they don’t need… those votes can be passed on”, Reilly explained earlier this year. 

“Ultimately, what you have is an outcome which is slightly more representative of broader consensus, rather than just being a straightforward popularity contest,” he added.

Should you vote all the way down the ballot paper?

One of the perennial questions asked every time an election rolls around in Ireland is: Should you vote all the way down the ballot paper?

In short, there are different schools of thought on this – as outlined here.

In some constituencies, it would be quite time-consuming to vote the whole way down the ballot paper but, of course, this is up to the individual.

Reilly told The Explainer that voters are at liberty to “cast as many or as few preferences” as they like.

He continued: “The best way to make sure that your vote is as useful as possible is for you to consider in advance how many candidates you might ultimately like to see get elected.

“And indeed, in some cases, if there’s anyone that you absolutely don’t want to see getting elected.”

If there are specific candidates that you “absolutely don’t want to get elected”, you should vote “for literally everybody else”.

815European Elections RDS_90706807 Staff empty the ballot boxes as they start counting the papers for the local and European elections in the RDS in Dublin in June 2024 © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

Giving an example, Reilly said if there are 10 people running in a constituency including two you really don’t want to get elected, “the best way to try and achieve that is to cast preferences 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 for the eight other candidates in your preferred order”.

You will only ever help a candidate if you are voting for them, a candidate that you don’t put a preference beside gets nothing out of you.

“But the thing that a lot of people don’t always understand or don’t realise, is that if you leave a whole slew of candidates blank and you don’t give them anything, basically what you are telling the returning officer and the count staff is that you are passive, you are meh about which of them may or may not get in.

“And if that is genuinely the case, if you are completely passive about those candidates, you are at liberty to do that.

“But if, of those remaining candidates, there’s some that you’d prefer to see rather than others, you should keep voting until you’ve run out of all your preferences or until you know that you’ve listed all of the candidates in the true preference of order that you have.”

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88 Comments
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    Mute Shane O Mac
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:28 PM

    Just don’t vote for who is in power now, pretty simple, you can’t let them ruin the country even more.

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    Mute Eddie Garvey
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    Nov 27th 2024, 10:49 PM

    @H Woo: my son will be voting for the first time in this general election. His grandfather had a factory job and bought his first house in castleknock while his wife stayed at home to mind their three kids. I’d say he had it better, especially when he sold his house 35 years later for 1450% more than he paid for it.

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    Mute Niamh Healy
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:01 PM

    @Eddie Garvey: @Eddie Garvey: so did everyone else. The cost of living was much lower because there were less “luxuries” that today’s generation now expect! Multiple cars, wardrobes full of clothes, designer bags, jewellery, holidays, tech, show home looks. They want it all and feel entitled but they’re not prepared to graft or go without.

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    Mute Shelley Keary
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    Nov 28th 2024, 1:08 PM

    @Shane O Mac: but supposing you like them and think they did a good job? Do you not believe in democracy?

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    Mute J McGovern
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    Nov 28th 2024, 2:21 PM

    @H Woo: Yuo nead two lern too spel. My grandperants experance of a older ect. ect.

    1
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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Nov 29th 2024, 4:30 PM

    @Shane O Mac: The in-power parties still get your vote even if you leave them blank.

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    Mute Nerb
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    Nov 30th 2024, 4:15 AM

    @Shane O Mac: see how’s that’s working in the uk. Labour is making one mistake after another and driving the country into the ground

    1
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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:16 PM

    I know how it works. I will only be voting for one candidate and one candidate only. I won’t be giving a single preference vote.

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    Mute Ajax Penumbra
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:25 PM

    @Ger Whelan: I really don’t think you know how it works.

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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:33 PM

    @Ajax Penumbra: I really don’t care tbh.

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    Mute Ronan McGrath
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:56 PM

    @Ger Whelan: You’re part of the problem

    56
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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:13 PM

    @Ronan McGrath: Really I’d say those who give preference votes to FG and FF are the problem. They are the ones who are putting them back into power time and time again.

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    Mute barry williams
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:35 PM

    @Ger Whelan: spot on

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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Nov 29th 2024, 4:28 PM

    @Ger Whelan: You care enough to go and vote. Why wont you care how it actually works?

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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Nov 29th 2024, 4:32 PM

    @Ger Whelan: You are part of the problem if you don’t number all candidates. Read the article. It may actually help.

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    Mute Michale Kane
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    Nov 27th 2024, 11:34 PM

    You don’t have to fill all. If you don’t want a Party, don’t give them 2nd preferences.
    Vote for whoever you want, but will be no FFG for me.

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    Mute barry williams
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:35 PM

    That’s the problem. A lot of people think they have to vote all the way down. It’s why you see clowns like Harris get in on the 15th count. He can’t even get in on a first or second count then he ends up as Taoiseach. It’s a joke. Kids should be taught how the voting system works in this country before they leave school

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    Mute Tired Jim
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:37 PM

    @barry williams: that’s exactly what pr-stv process is, we don’t have first past the post

    29
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    Mute barry williams
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:42 PM

    @Tired Jim: I know exactly what it is. Ffs that’s my point. Many people don’t and think they have to put an X in each box when they don’t have to. Maybe you should read my original comment again it obviously went over your head the first time

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    Mute Kevin Kerr
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:45 PM

    @barry williams: I know exactly how it works, and that’s why I am voting all the way down as long as I have a preference in candidate

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    Mute barry williams
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    Nov 27th 2024, 10:32 PM

    @Kevin Kerr: that’s grand Kev that’s the system that’s your preference but my point is people think they have to give an X even when they have no preference. It’s why we get the likes of Harris who’s out of touch with reality as Taoiseach

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    Mute Paul C
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    Nov 27th 2024, 10:56 PM

    @barry williams: I wouldn’t use an X is I was you.

    27
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    Mute Mary.E.
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:35 AM

    @barry williams:
    If they put an X it will be a spoiled vote.

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    Mute Johnny Wilson
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    Nov 28th 2024, 1:09 AM

    @barry williams: only actual cl0wns are the mor.0ns too d.um.b to understand how PR-STV works.

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    Mute Shane O Neill
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    Nov 28th 2024, 8:15 AM

    @barry williams: You’re very sure of yourself for somebody who’s wrong.

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    Mute ruairi colton
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    Nov 28th 2024, 9:32 AM

    @barry williams: If you dont vote all the way down then your vote is not considered further in the process. This practically lowers the quota and candidates are elected without reaching the quota. However if you have no preference then you are right to leave some blank.

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Nov 28th 2024, 10:06 AM

    @barry williams: sometime there are reasons why a prominent candidate comes in on a later count, very often it’s because the party deliberately splits the vote to get an extra candidate elected. If it works, they get the extra seat. If it doesn’t work, the transfers from the first candidate eliminated will usually get the other one over the line. That’s the system.

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    Mute Sara McSweeney
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:53 PM

    @barry williams: if you’re putting a X in any of the boxes on Friday, your vote won’t count for much. X is only for referendums

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    Mute Pat Kelly
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    Nov 29th 2024, 6:51 AM

    @ruairi colton: Your comment shows a total lack of understanding of how the system works. The votes are first tallied and divided into two groups, valid and non-valid. The total valid poll is then divided by the number of seats in the constituency plus 1 and the outcome is increased by 1. This number is the quota, and once arrived at it is cast in stone and cannot be changed. The next step is to distribute the votes according to preference but nothing that happens from here on can change the quota, and candidates who reach it are elected in turn. You should study the process of how votes are transferred and, when the counts are completed, have a look and see how well your plan to vote all the way down the paper served you. It may not have been what you really wanted.

    1
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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Nov 29th 2024, 4:34 PM

    @barry williams: omg how do you manage to get it do wrong?

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    Mute Chin
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:15 PM

    Yes, definitely vote the whole way down (excluding SF and PBP, obviously).

    86
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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:25 PM

    @Chin: I’ll be excluding FG, FF, SF, GP, PBP, Aontu, and any nationalist independent candidate in my constituency.

    35
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    Mute Maximilian Kolbe
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:39 PM

    @Ger Whelan: don’t worry, the immigrants will accept you seeing as the Irish rejected you.

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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:42 PM

    @Maximilian Kolbe: if you say so boss

    4
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    Mute Glen Kelly
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:58 PM

    @Ger Whelan: sap

    7
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Nov 27th 2024, 11:57 PM

    @Ger Whelan: that’s your choice Ger, but I’m sure there will be some one to fill in the rest if it for you.

    3
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    Mute Tired Jim
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:24 PM

    Anyone but SF and other far left headbangers

    53
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    Mute Lina Stein
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    Nov 28th 2024, 9:09 AM

    @Tired Jim: I don’t think SF counts as a left wing party.

    11
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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Nov 29th 2024, 4:37 PM

    @Lina Stein: Read their manifesto

    1
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    Mute Kevin Kerr
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:10 PM

    My take is to vote all the way down as long as you have a preference in candidate, even if that preference is the least worse option

    38
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    Mute Tired Jim
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:23 PM

    Maybe introduce some kind of aptitude test, before you are issued with a polling card

    32
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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:25 PM

    @Tired Jim: Then people like you wouldn’t be able to vote

    193
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    Mute Stiles
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:54 PM

    @Tired Jim: do you get one test for every identity you have on the journal?

    128
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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:40 PM

    I’m giving Alan Shatter my number 1 vote and that’s it. No one else represents my views. I want a free-market, low tax candidate who supports privatisation, curbing immigration and is pro-Israel and pro-Ukraine. The only person who fits those requirements is Alan Shatter. Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil Sinn Fein and the other small parties (PBP, Labour, Social Democrats) are all just left-wing clowns who want left-wing economic, social and foreign policy positions. They all want to bankrupt the country with big spending, rent control and price controls, while sucking up to China and Hamas abroad.

    36
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    Mute Brendan Greene
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:13 PM

    @Frank O’Hara: Shatter hasn’t a hope of election. He is deeply unpopular and is a very arrogant unpleasant person. That is before taking his Zionist extremism into account.

    183
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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:35 PM

    @Brendan Greene: He’s a straight talker who speaks his mind. That’s not arrogance, that’s refreshing honesty, something which is deeply lacking in the Dáil at the moment. What’s wrong with him being a Zionist? I’m a proud Zionist too. I believe that Israel has the right to defend itself with the maximum possible force and Israeli people have the right to live in their ancestral homeland. I don’t know what’s “extremist” about that.

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    Mute barry williams
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:39 PM

    @Frank O’Hara: it’s not their ancestral homeland. It was stolen. That’s why there’s being slaughter there for generations. Sad to see you revel in the slaughter of innocent women and children

    144
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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:50 PM

    @barry williams: Yes it is Barry, stop spreading falsehoods. There’s no such thing as a “Palestinian.” They are a made-up group of people that were created in 1964 by the Soviet Union in order to expand their hegemony in the Middle East. Jewish people have had a continuous presence in the Holy Land for over 3,500 years and they haven’t “stolen” a single inch of land because you can’t steal what is rightfully yours to reclaim. The 1920 League of Nations (United Nations) San Remo Conference clearly outlined that the Jewish people had a right to their own country, whose borders would stretch from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River undivided and whose name would be decided by the Jewish people. I strongly support Israel because they are fighting backwards savages at the moment.

    16
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    Mute John Doe
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    Nov 27th 2024, 10:10 PM

    @Frank O’Hara: funny, you tell people to ‘stop spreading falsehoods’ and then you come up with that bolloxology. It doesn’t matter how many times you repeat your lie, it still doesn’t make it true! Israel stole that land and are now guilty of genocide and murdering of innocent women and children, anyone who agrees with their slaughter is just as bad as them! They’re pure and utter dirty scüm

    137
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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:15 AM

    @John Doe: How is it “genocide” John if the civilian to combatant ratio is 2:1 when in a normal war it would be 4:1? In heavily urbanised conflict zones, 90% of casualties are civilians yet in Gaza it’s nowhere near that number. Hamas were caught out lying in May and had to change their death toll for women and children from 24,000 to 12,800. 14,000 of the dead bodies are Hamas militants. 10,400 of the dead bodies have no ID or proof that they even existed. You’re a pretty bad liar John. If Israel is committing “genocide”, how come the population of Gaza increased by 2% this year? If you want woman and children to stop dying, tell your buddies in Hamas to stop building their missile launching sites beside schools and hospitals. Do you know that there are zero bomb shelters in all of Gaza?

    7
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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:20 AM

    @John Doe: Name me just one Jewish settlement that was built on stolen Arab land before the Arab armies declared war to wipe out all of the Jewish people in 1948 because I can name at least 20 Arab settlements that were built on stolen Jewish land. I’ll wait.

    5
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    Mute barry williams
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:23 AM

    @Frank O’Hara: everything you have just said is a lie and a falsehood. It’s been proven time and time again. The Israelis that stole that land where shipped there over the years to create as a British minister called it “our own little Jewish Ulster in the Middle East “. DNA profiling has shown all Israelis there are of polish and Ukrainian. The land was stolen from the Palestinians it’s an historic fact. They were murdered by the hundreds of 1000s and displaced from their lands. Massive ethnic cleansing

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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:30 AM

    @John Doe: the likes of him couldn’t see the truth if it slapped him in the face. Just spread constant lies just like the evil Israeli regime. The Israelis are deliberately starving the Palestinian people to wipe them out . You would swear this slaughter started on October 7th. The Palestinians have being getting slaughtered by a racist apartheid regime for 80 years

    12
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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:40 AM

    @barry williams: Is there no end to your falsehoods, you absolute tool? 60% of Jews in Israel are Mizrahi, meaning that they were originally from Arabic countries until they were ethnically cleansed. Only about 30% of Jews are actually of European descent. The rest are indigenous to the Holy Land or are Yemeni Jews who are separate to the Mizrahi Jews. “Palestinians” on the other hand, are a made-up group of people that were only created in 1964. They have no right to an area which they are not indigenous to. They is not a single historical document which proves that they existed before 1964. I applaud Israel for taking all the necessary steps to remove a parasitic entity from their ancestral homeland. “Palestinians” are just ethnic Egyptians and Jordanian and their DNA says so.

    5
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    Mute Daniel Killeen
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    Nov 28th 2024, 7:25 AM

    @Frank O’Hara: Your hasbara leaves a lot to be desired

    6
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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 28th 2024, 10:55 AM

    @Daniel Killeen: Cry more. I’ve just stated facts. Funny how you don’t have any sort of coherent rebuttal to what I said. Is that because you know I’m right?

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:52 PM

    @Frank O’Hara: most present day Palestinians are closer genetically to the ancient Israelis than your average modern Israeli citizen. So, whose ancient homeland is it really?

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    Mute Jason Memail
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    Nov 28th 2024, 1:22 PM

    @Frank O’Hara: A typical arrogant Zionist. You always thought the world hated you – at least now you’ve managed to make your own persecution complex into reality.

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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 28th 2024, 3:45 PM

    @Dermot Blaine: Can you pro-Hamas goons go a minute without telling more falsehoods? There is no historical documents or evidence which provide that the “Palestinians” are a real group of people. If you look at the top 15 “Palestinian” surnames, they are all of Egyptian and Jordanian origin because all of the “Palestinians” are just Egyptians and Jordanians. They are not a separate ethnic group, they were only created in 1964. They need to go back to where they came from and to stop squatting on land that isn’t theirs. They have no history and no distinct genetic or ethnic makeup and they should be treated as such.

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    Mute Andrew Harrington
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    Nov 28th 2024, 3:45 PM

    @barry williams: Bullcac! There is archaeological evidence going back 3000 years that show it is Jewish land! Put your antisemitism back in the box and do some proper research!

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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 28th 2024, 3:50 PM

    @Jason Memail: Boo-hoo Jason, cry more you Hamas shill. I’m a proud Christian Zionist who strongly supports Israel, one of the most moral countries in the world that exalts Western values. Israel is always going to exist and there is nothing that you can do about. The “Palestinians” are a bunch of whiney victims whose belief system is fundamentally backwards. Israelis get on with life despite all that they have been through and have managed to build one of the greatest countries ever.

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    Mute Tired Jim
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:24 PM

    Anyone but SF and other far left headbangers

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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:53 PM

    Slightly off topic a bit……. no sign of a voting card by today’s post??? Everyone get theirs??

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    Mute Ger Whelan
    Favourite Ger Whelan
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:56 PM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: Yep got mine weeks ago. You don’t need a voting card to vote. Just bring a valid I’d to your polling station and if you are on the register you’ll be able to vote.

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    Mute Tired Jim
    Favourite Tired Jim
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    Nov 27th 2024, 8:59 PM

    @Ger Whelan: you can’t even find your polling station

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    Mute Rachel Mountney
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:00 PM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: Nope. Loads of people I know still without cards but you can still vote with ID.

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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
    Favourite Frank Mc Carthy
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:01 PM

    @Ger Whelan: yeah, thought I didn’t actually need the paper/ posted card…..just strange it never arr6

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    Mute Joanne Stokes
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:03 PM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: I got mine today but citizens advice say ya don’t need one just turn up with ID and state name. Just check voter.ie to check yer on it.

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    Mute Kevin Kerr
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:07 PM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: just make sure you’re on the register, making sure to check your real name, not the multitude of aliases that you use on this platform

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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:10 PM

    @Kevin Kerr: ?? Nope, you lost me??

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    Mute Tired Jim
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    Nov 27th 2024, 9:05 PM

    I don’t blame Micheal for not wanting to talk to SF, I too, would hate to have to listen to that chainsaw in my ear for the next 5 years lol

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Nov 27th 2024, 10:23 PM

    @Tired Jim: It’s personal for MM. He just doesn’t like Mary.

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    Mute Alan Moloney
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    Nov 27th 2024, 11:27 PM

    @Tired Jim: it works both way man anybody but FF FG OR LABOUR OR THE GREENS

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    Mute Mandog68 Mandog68
    Favourite Mandog68 Mandog68
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    Nov 28th 2024, 10:22 AM

    But why are we still using pencils to vote…..why not pens?

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    Mute Jack Hayes
    Favourite Jack Hayes
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:07 PM

    @Mandog68 Mandog68: Pencils (rather than pens) are more sustainable and, above all, more reliable. Also, In the event of the ballot papers getting wet before the count, pencil marks will remain. Pen marks may not.

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    Mute Jack Hayes
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:09 PM

    @Jack Hayes: You can bring and use your own pen or pencil in any event.

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Nov 28th 2024, 12:54 PM

    @Jack Hayes: there was a crazy conspiracy going round by the right wing nutters around the time of the local elections that votes using pencils were being erased and redone!

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    Mute Gerry Lamont
    Favourite Gerry Lamont
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    Nov 28th 2024, 9:09 AM

    Hard to believe that people still think you must fill the ballot paper all the way down to the end. This is why some of these ingrates get re-elected.Vote only for the person you want , no more, no less. It really is that simple.

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    Mute ruairi colton
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    Nov 28th 2024, 9:35 AM

    @Gerry Lamont: Candidates will still get elected without reaching the quota.

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    Mute Pat Kelly
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    Nov 29th 2024, 9:04 AM

    @ruairi colton: Not many. It happens towards the end of the count with usually just one seat remaining and it has become obvious that one candidate is not going to be caught. There are simply no more votes to distribute. You make it sound like many are elected in this way, which they are not, and your comment along with your earlier comments just show that you don’t understand how the system works.

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    Mute Lina Stein
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    Nov 28th 2024, 9:17 AM

    How about giving the first preference to a candidate you know won’t be elected so that your following preferences are more precise and speak for you, rather than voting for a candidate who has a vast majority where your following preferences are divided out by percentage to the other popular candidates in the constituency.?

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    Mute Pat Kelly
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    Nov 29th 2024, 8:52 AM

    @Lina Stein: Once again, someone who doesn’t understand how it works. Your vote does not transfer to other “popular candidates”. It transfers to the candidate who has received your next preference on the ballot paper.

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    Mute Smelly Head
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    Nov 28th 2024, 7:36 PM

    The Explainer has left me with more questions than before I read it. For I stance, this passage “if you leave a whole slew of candidates blank and you don’t give them anything, basically what you are telling the returning officer and the count staff is that you are passive, you are meh about which of them may or may not get in.”
    Does this mean that if I leave a load of candidates blank, the returning officer can think “she doesn’t mind, so I’ll just give her vote to FG”? I thought that if you don’t put a number next to a name, they can’t get a vote out of me.

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    Mute Pat Kelly
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    Nov 29th 2024, 8:39 AM

    @Smelly Head: You’re dead right, Smelly. That is one hell of a stupid statement, made even more stupid by the introduction of a new word – “meh” – into the English language. The returning officer is not paid to figure out what you meant by leaving a few blanks. She is paid to allocate your vote as you have indicated on the ballot paper. Once you’ve done that you can leave as many blanks as you like.

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