Sir, - During the TV coverage of the election the question was raised as to whether candidates whose names began with earlier letters of the alphabet were gaining through being nearer the top of the ballot paper.
It may interest your readers to know that of the 131 successful Fianna Fail and Fine Gael candidates 63, i.e. 48 per cent, had names beginning with the letters A to F inclusive. This contrasts with 33 per cent of private phone subscribers in Dublin who fall into this category. Although this sample may not be fully representative of names in the total population, any difference is likely to be small.
It might be expected that independents and smaller parties would have less scope for selecting candidates with appropriate names and the equivalent figure for their candidates is only 17 per cent.
This analysis does not of itself prove that being nearer to the top of the ballot paper is a help. However, it does suggest that a deeper analysis is warranted. If an A to F type advantage was proven, computer technology could correct this bias by enabling everyone's ballot paper to be printed individually with the names of the candidates arranged in random order. - Yours, etc.,
Glencree Road,
Enniskerry,
Co Wicklow.