Across the world, democracy is in retreat. Data from the Economist Intelligence Unit shows that nearly half the world’s population now lives under some form of authoritarian rule. Against that bleak backdrop, Irish democracy remains a success story. Ireland consistently ranks among the world’s most democratic nations. That makes it all the more important that those who live here exercise their franchise in Friday’s presidential election.
This is true even for those who are underwhelmed by the choice before them. Polls suggest a large number of voters are dissatisfied with the limited field of candidates. Yet opting out of the process, or deliberately spoiling a ballot, is not the best way to express that discontent.
An unusually vocal campaign has urged voters to spoil their papers in protest at the failure of some aspirants to secure a nomination via the constitutionally required process. That is their right. But it is also a self-defeating gesture.
A spoiled ballot has no more impact on the result than an abstention. And the notion that this election is somehow “rigged” or undemocratic, as some campaigners have claimed, is absurd. Between them, the three candidates on the ballot have the support of well over 90 per cent of elected members of the Oireachtas. The process may have produced an uninspiring shortlist this time, but it remains fully legitimate. To suggest otherwise is to indulge in the kind of baseless rhetoric that has corroded trust in democratic institutions elsewhere.
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The more serious concern is that fewer than half of those registered to vote are expected to do so. The official turnout figure must be treated with caution, given persistent duplication and unrecorded deaths on the electoral register. These flaws can distort participation rates by as much as 10 per cent. Even so, the trend over recent decades has been clearly downward.
The establishment two years ago of the Electoral Commission has already helped to improve voter registration. It must now prioritise assisting local authorities to clean up their electoral rolls.
Beyond that, the State needs to make it easier for people to vote. Ireland remains unusually restrictive in its rules around postal and early voting. This seems rooted less in principle than in inertia. In a country where people now travel more frequently for work and leisure, such limits are outdated. Anyone legally resident and entitled to vote should be able to do so without unnecessary barriers.
Those who can vote on Friday should make the effort. It is a simple civic duty, called upon only occasionally. For many, this will be the last opportunity to participate in a national election for several years. In a world where democracy is faltering, the act of voting is not only a right but something to be cherished.
