Lisbon Watch »

• Only one controversy remains. The turnout?

  October 4, 2009 @ 3:30 pm | by Eoin Burke Kennedy

  As the dust settles on what can only be described as a drubbing for the No side, only one contention remains. What percentage of the electorate actually voted? According to the official figures, the turnout was 59.0 per cent.

  The figures for the total electorate and turnout are based on those submitted by returning officers for each constituency.

  However the Department of the Environment has admitted the figures for the electorate carried on its website are not up to date as they are based on the register as of February 15th last.

  Since then there have been two supplementary registers, the first for the local and European elections in June and the second for the Lisbon Treaty referendum.

  When the updated figures for the electorate in each constituency are taken into account, the turnout falls to 58.0 per cent. The Department says it plans to correct the discrepancy in due course.

  As LisbonWatch changed the “official” figures to reflect the new numbers, submitted by the 43 returning officers yesterday, it was apparent that most of the electorates had changed since February, as might be expected since they reflect new people coming on to the register and others being removed.

  However some figures were the same as those recorded in February, suggesting some returning officers have not updated their registers. So the turnout figure of 58.0 per cent may be revised again at some future date!

  Comments (8)

• No side blames economy but figures bear strong similarity to Nice votes

  October 3, 2009 @ 12:10 pm | by Eoin Burke Kennedy

  A decisive majority of voters have voted in favour of the Treaty. Up and down the country, constituency counts indicate a massive swing to the Yes side.

  The treaty looks like it will be passed by a margin of two to one, reversing the 53 per cent No vote recorded just 16 months ago.

  The Dublin South West constituency, which recorded the highest No vote in the State last time, has voted strongly in favour of the treaty, with 58 per cent supporting Lisbon.

  The highest pro-Treaty vote was recorded in Dublin South which saw a whopping 81.7 per cent Yes vote, narrowly eclipsing Dun Laoghaire’s 81.2 per cent.

  The only two constituencies to vote against the treaty were the two Donegal constituencies, but even Donegal as a whole saw its Yes vote rise by 13 per cent.

  No campaigners are putting the decisive swing in voter preference down to the state of the economy, which seems reasonable.

  But one can’t help reflecting on the fact that the figures for the two Lisbon votes appear strikingly similiar to the previous EU referenda on the Nice Treaty.

  In 2001, Nice was rejected by 53.87 per cent to 46.13 per cent, the following year it was passed by a majority of 62.89 per cent to 37.11 per cent.

  Last year, Lisbon was rejected by 53.4 per cent to 46.6 per cent, and predictions so far today indicate a 60-40 majority in favour of Yes looks likely.

  While acknowledging the role of the economy, several Yes campaigners said the strong Yes swing reflected the fact that voters were better informed this time.

  Well I suppose they would say that! It is also worth considering that turnout for first Nice rejection was dismally low, in contrast to the first Lisbon rejection which was reasonably solid for a European vote.

  Comments (16)

• International interest in Irish vote unprecedented

  October 2, 2009 @ 10:55 am | by Eoin Burke Kennedy

  The media scrum surrounding this referendum is unprecedented, with some 560 TV, radio and print journalists in receipt of accreditation for the count at Dublin Castle tomorrow.

  Last year’s vote on Lisbon attracted 350 journalists. Less than 170 of this year’s 560-strong contingent are Irish, with the bulk of the remainder traveling from other EU member states.

  The German media have 33 people covering the count, with the ZDF station sending 15 journalists and ARD sending 18. The BBC is sending a 31-strong contingent of journalists.

  Several Japanese newspapers and broadcast media will also be in attendance, while Chinese state new agency Xinhua and China Radio International will relay news to Beijing.

  Al-Jazeera and Russian state TV are among the other international media outlets that have sent crews.

  An in-depth news and results service will be available on this site tomorrow.

  The site will carry up-to-the-minute results from all 41 constituencies as they emerge, along with comparative data from the 2008 vote.

  The site will also provide in-depth news, reaction and analysis from home and abroad. Irish Times political editor Stephen Collins will assess the voting trends as they emerge, while European correspondent Jamie Smyth will consider what the result means for Ireland’s position on the global stage.

  The main events of the day can also be followed through our Twitter feed, SMS news alerts and blogs.

  Comments (8)