Mayo condemnation of 'despicable' spoil votes campaign

A Mayo elected representative has slammed the high percentage of spoiled votes in the local constituency and further afield as 'despicable.'

Speaking to The Connaught Telegraph at the count centre at the TF Royal Theatre, Councillor Ger Deere said an orchestrated campaign to spoil votes has no placed in a democracy.

A total of 6,311 invalid votes were recorded in Mayo. Nationally, that number stood at 1,442,698, the biggest in the history of the State.

"I was taken aback when I saw posters around Castlebar asking members of the electorate to spoil their votes.

"What purpose does it achieve? I can't see the logic of it.

"The posters around Castlebar were put up over the last day or two.

"If people want to send out a message to the government, then the way to do it is to vote for an Opposition candidate.

"But a spoiled vote is just a wasted vote. I saw some of the spoiled ballot papers and the exact same message appeared on a lot of them.

"It was definitely an orchestrated campaign. Bundles of the same message and some crude stuff also.

"I don't know what that serves. It was terrible for democracy to have a spoiled vote campaign."

Also speaking on the issue to RTÉ News, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said one of the big stories of this election is the number of spoiled votes.

"If the spoiled votes come in ahead of Heather Humphreys, it will be a political earthquake. It will be two fingers to the political establishment by a big chunk of people," he said.

Deputy Tóibín said there is a "major problem" in Irish politics and he is worried that the parties are not listening to it.

"A whole section of Irish society do not feel that they have a voice within the system, do not feel that they have a horse in the race, and that's dangerous.

"That leads to polaristation if that's allowed to continue," he said.

"Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael engineered this high level of spoiled votes and the low turnout in this election.

"They have to take responsibility for that and I believe there are enormous questions to be asked of Micheál Martin and Simon Harris now."

Deputy Tóibín wished Ms Connolly luck and said he has "no doubt" she will be a good president.

In a video interview (above), the chairman of Mayo Fine Gael Jim Higgins also gave his view to The Connaught Telegraph in regard to the high number of spoiled voted.