Sir, – There are many lessons from 2016, not least of which is that elections have consequences. The deeper and more important lesson is that voter turnout is falling to alarming levels.
It is all very well marching and complaining about Donald Trump, yet 45 per cent of the US electorate failed to turn out to vote; and those complaining about his cabinet picks and court nominee should in the first instance direct their attention to the pathetic 35 per cent turnout in the 2014 mid-term elections, the outcome of which directly impacted the ability of Barack Obama to pursue his agenda and explicitly prevented him filling the open US supreme court seat.
Our own general election last year had a 65 per cent turnout, the second lowest in over 40 years. The marriage referendum saw 40 per cent of the electorate stay at home. Previous referendums have clocked up a pitiful 35 per cent turnout.
If we don’t turn out to vote, we are ceding power to vocal special interests of all hues, who have the means and motivation to get the vote out.
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Get out and vote – or don’t complain about the outcome. – Yours, etc,
IAN HEADON,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.