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THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION is working to make voting information more accessible for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities who have been “under-reached” in the past.
Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI) hosted a webinar with the Electoral Commission this week which explained how to vote in the general election and highlighted resources such as easy-to-read voting guides.
Presenting the webinar, Conor O’Donnell, a member of the National Advisory Council of Down Syndrome Ireland, broke down the role of the government, TDs and the Dáil to the people watching. “Voting gives you the power to make a difference,” he said.
To choose which candidate to vote for, O’Donnell encouraged participants to think about the issues they care about and ask trusted people for help. He also offered practical tips for voting, including bringing along a sheet with your voting preferences and having someone come along to the polling station for support.
“Everyone’s vote is the same. A member of Down Syndrome Ireland’s vote has the same value as the President of Ireland’s,” CEO of the Electoral Commission Art O’Leary told The Journal.
He stressed the importance of making voting information accessible to everyone, explaining that in the past “there has not been huge efforts made to connect with people who don’t normally engage with the electoral system”.
Just 51% of voters turned out for the local and European elections in June. O’Leary said that most of the non-voters either don’t have an interest, lack knowledge about politics or doubt their vote counts.
The Electoral Commission is trying to focus on the long-term voting education of “under-reached groups” – rather than only prioritising them at election time – including people with disabilities, members of the Travelling community, migrants and young people.
Una Coates, a member of DSI’s National Advisory Council, highlighted the lack of awareness around postal voting and the large number of candidates as challenges to voting.
“We need more easy-to-read information. Some families and support workers need to learn about voting by post and registering so they can support people with Down syndrome,” Una told The Journal.
She highlighted useful resources such as Inclusion Ireland’s easy-to-read voting guide and the Electoral Commission’s ‘How to Vote’ video.
“There are a lot of candidates, so it’s difficult to learn about all of them”, Coates said, commenting that easy-to-read guides breaking down candidate information would improve accessibility.
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Nevada…Grand Canyon?
Please do better
@Jessie Pinkman:
But is he right?
@Garry Coll: of course he’s right. Grand Canyon is in Arizona.
The Grand Canyon is in Arizona you twits!
@Geoff Scargill: exactly I got 9 and picked Arizona
@Geoff Scargill: Before the answers came up,I said Colorado. Is it the Colorado river? But defo not Nevada
@Larry Betts: looked it up. Entirely in Arizona, carved by Colorado river. I guessed Arizona on answers given
@Larry Betts: snap Larry, I’ve been at the ol’ Google machine too…. Arizona
@Frank Mc Carthy: I’d like to ask the audience,Chris……..”90% of the audience say ‘Arizona’ “ “Arizona,Chris. Final answer”
@Larry Betts: Flip Larry, I’ve been to Vegas, Nevada a few times, too a couple of tours of the canyon from Vegas over the years, but always thought was still in Nevada lol.
@Frank Mc Carthy: Yip Wikipedia says Arizona too.. do we all concur the journal wrong on that one ? I was wrong too, so minus 1 point for me lol..
The foundations were laid by Irish immigrants. They only got three quarters way through. Before they left,the foreman asked How’s it looking? Ah sure,it’ll be grand when it’s finished.
@Michale Kane: For Christ sake, it’s Arizona been forever, primary school geography. Their quizzes and so called fact checks have no credibility.
@John Brennan: John me humble apologies, as said I have taken tours of the canyon, from Las Vegas in Nevada and yes wrongly assumed we remained in the great State of Nevada, they are quite large you know, plus there was now border crossing in the sky either before or after flying over it. Personally was fully occupied with keeping my composure, in very uncomfortable flying conditions, to plot directions on a map. Now good evening , me smoke over.
Losing your mind over a quiz, get a life lol
@Michale Kane: Ok, Nevada/Arizona share a border at the Hoover dam about 20 miles south of Los Vegas, but it is a quite a long way from the Grand Canyo, I drove it a few times.
@John Brennan: Yeah, done the Hoover Dam a few times, have the key-ring too.. pity the tours are not as good since 9/11 , security restrictions no longer allow tours down generation levels etc.
@John Brennan: They do tours of the Canyon from Vegas, we done airplane and helicopter tours of Canyon. We flew from Vegas, did not drive. These flights in smaller 10 seater propeller aircraft were quite uncomfortable for me, even with no fear of flying, but still a mad enjoyable ride, the turbulence is mad due to the mad air flows around the canyon, my bother though was another matter, he was green the whole way, even the pilot was taken the mick out of him.
@Larry Betts: Any they weren’t impressed with American tolerances, Americans said they would be accurate to thousands of an inch, but Paddy insisted that wouldn’t do back home.. as they had to be spot-on back home..
@Michale Kane: I take it you like to brag about yourself,a little bit. You know when I was flying to LAX, I wasn’t sure which States I was flying over either. It’s not easy, believe me, especially at forty thousand feet .
Not too shabby , 8/10, have to admit I’d never come across the singer, sufjan stevens
@Frank Mc Carthy: 8/10 and you lived there for more than 3 decades? A pathetic score, Frank, Buster, Ken, Kevvy kerrr and whoever else you’re having
@Frank Mc Carthy: 7/10 for me , but I got that Sultan one right …. Took a guess on the 1 non-‘southern state’ and was right.. lol.
@Kevin Kerr: ??? OK there son?? Been at the top shelf???
@Frank Mc Carthy: hahaha, that trolling crew, the factor 50′s are imploding bit by bit, hope they keep their promises to go away when President Trump wins the US election……but they’ll probably just “morph” one again
@Frank Mc Carthy: he’s first cousin to Shakin Steven’s ,but wears leather instead of denim
The Grand Canyon is also in Arizona
@Teresa Connolly: yes!!!! That one is a head scratcher????? Never been but fairly sure Arizona is home of the GC
R.T.E for the last 6 months has campaign for a Democrat’s just look at their news tonight and morning ireland during the week.
@Kevin B Carroll: Almost as shocking as decades of campaigning for FG and now FF & Greens.. but at least they got a few hundred million of taxpayers money for that..
@Kevin B Carroll: I don’t think anyone with a vote is paying attention to RTE!!
On top of Nevada GC mistake….Atlanta metro is far larger than Philly
Arizona is known as the grand canyon state. That may be a hint for the first question. It’s not Nevada journalist from the journal….
Check your source on the location of the Grand Canyon. I am betting you relied on a source within the Trump campaign. Or, maybe Musk bought the Grand Canyon and moved it all to Nevada (?)
9/10 because the Grand Canyon is in ARIZONA!!!
@Tricia G28: Tricia! The oldest swinger in town !
@Tricia G28: ok Karen
@Tricia G28: you get 10/10 for best dramatic use in a comments section for .. use of ( drum roll ) (pause for suspense and tension). … “CAPITAL LETTERS”
@Michale Kane: Well at least she KNOWS where the GC is, unlike you
And yet he is losing massively bigly! Can’t wait for the Trumpies to start looking for another god…
It was only today when I realised after all these years that Dire Straits were singing about “Sufjan of swing” states
@Larry Betts: You are not funny.
@Sun Rise: Are you drunk again?
Are these the ones where I leave the keys in the ashtray type of swing?
@Joe Beirne: smoking ban. Use a fish bowl. Take the water and fish out first mind. Won’t make that mistake again.
@Joe Beirne: Depends if you’re looking for butts
The Grand Canyon is NOT in Nevada,or actually in any part of the USA. The correct name is the Super Canyon. In New Zealand,it’s known as the Awesome Canyon, in Australia it’s referred to as the Fair Dinkum Canyon. It’s only referred to as the ‘grand’ Canyon in certain regions of rural Ireland. Elsewhere in Ireland it’s known as the ‘feck it,it will do’ Canyon
@Larry Betts: You need to get out more…
Got the Civil war one right, happy enough with that
@Brian D’Arcy: Gettysberg is an amazing place to tour.
@Tricia G28: I recently read a book about Bill Bryson growing up in Des Moines,Iowa. I want to live there now
@Jessie Pinkman: I shouldn’t, but I did…. Cracked me up.. Nearly peed meself.. lol..
@Jessie Pinkman: Or as good as Killenaule in Tipperary
Fianna Fail and Donald Trump, I love it!
I passed by a few dodgy places downtown recently. You shoulda seen the state of them swingers.
@Larry Betts: they’d be dogging places not dodgy….
Grand canyon is in Arizona
What a lot of people don’t know is that it was dug by men from Mayo.
I was at the Grand Canyon last year and it is in Arizona ….. Grand Canyon national park, along the Colorado river
No comments allowed on article above. What’s the point…..
8/10 ‘Battle Ground Weapon, George Washington will be proud, or something like that it says …. But I cheated on the incorrect Grand Canyon question … George not so proud of the Journal :)
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