Stopping Election Fraud: Ireland's Example 6-9th June 2009

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How Ireland'sDemocracyWorks and WhyElections Cannotbe Stolen -the evidence

Countday Live BlogIrish Elections6 June-8 June 2009

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In Irish democratic elections a system of 'tallying' has been developed which has the effect of making fraudulent elections almost impossible. As ballot boxes are gathered together into the countcentres, in full view of the 'tallymen' each ballot box in turn is emptied of its votes. The official votecounters then assemble, again in full view of the 'tallymen' each ballot paper into neat piles. Whilethis is done the tallymen note where the votes on each ballot paper have been allocated on a piece of paper using a simple signage system perfected several centuries ago. Once the vote counters haveassembled all the votes from all the ballot papers into neat piles and reconciled the number of ballot papers which should be in a ballot box with the number which actually are the real counting takes place. Normally by this time the tallymen's assembled tallies have been computed together and provided each ballot box has had at least 50 of its votes counted a relatively reliable outcome to theelection can be provided, usually within an hour of the ballot boxes being opened. Each political party participates in this process and shares resources so that the Tallies, which provide invaluableintelligence to political parties as to which streets exactly votes in which quantities for their candidates (each ballot box will correspond to a known set of streets within a constituency), areshared. As the counters begin the official votes counting tallying continues usually to work outwhere the voters preferences are falling and who therefore among the candidates who has notreached the quota will get elected next. Way before the official result is known, the tallies becomeknown and it is these tallies for the Irish local government and European parliament elections whichare included in this document as and when they arrived in real time to a blog.The following document is evidence of this process as it took place in one election in Irelandin June 2009. In count centres all around Ireland tallymen and citizen journalists SMSd, twitteredand blogged the tallies as and when they became known to a central live internet based webblogwhich was accessed by people all over Ireland and indeed the world. Those accessing the blogcould for the very first time in history have almost real time access to the tallies results as they camein. I felt the account thus given of how things turned out as they were reported is worth preservingfor several reasons.First, never before had those who were not at actual vote counting centres all around thecountry actually had access to this information.Second, it is an example of how several forms of new media can coalesce almostspontaneously (thanks to the vision of those who founded this scribblelive account) to exceed by far forms of conventional media purporting to offer the kinds of access to information in real timewhich today's political anoraks wish and need to have.Third, it is a witness in itself of the extraordinary and hopefully long to be preserved methodof counting votes in Irish elections which votes are all cast using ballot papers and not electronicallyand thus being susceptible to being tallied by people at count centres noting where votes are goingas soon as they are removed form the ballot paper boxes.Fourth, it tells the story of an election which saw Fianna Fail the right-wing and corrupt (inall senses of that word) political party which has ruled Ireland practically since independence finallyget their comeuppance from a long suffering and hitherto ridiculously loyal electorate as that storyunfolded.And fifth it is a witness to democracy in Ireland and using the internet in the new worldwhich is well worth preserving. Thanks to everyone whose texts and twitter tweets and hard work made this document possible, and especially to those (including Alexia Golez, cianflah,SimonMcGarr, Christine Bohan, Suzy Byrne and Fergal Crehan) who not only organised it but alsowho worked for no pay over the long hours of the counting of votes between Saturday morning at 9am on June 6th 2009 and (at least) midnight on Sunday/Monday June 7th/8th).

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nothing concrete in Cork City yet .. FF had 13 seats on City Council - party people say they2

will be pleased if they hold 10.. by

PJ Coogan

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higgins past 1000 after 10 boxes for castleknock #le09 by

barratree

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should mention that thats after the blakestown boxes so very skewed #le09 by

barratree

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Gorgeous George seems to be on to a winner #Le09 by

damienmulley

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A web cam has been set up in the RTÉ Radio centre - watch the election programmes as they broadcast live from 11am at www.rte.ie/live by

RTE_Elections

viatwitter at 6/6/2009 8:44:24 AM9:44 AM yesterday

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#le09 Mary Hanafin admits some FF candidates shrank the FF logo on election posters.understatement of the week. any FF candidate who didnt by

igaeilge

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Tallying North Inner City boxes in Central by election-3 horse race in my boxes Bacik,o'sullivan, Donohue #Le09 by

aoifecarroll

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Looks like George Lee is walking home in Dublin South... Gorgeous timing George #FG#le09 by

MickFealty

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#le09 is there any FF candidate who didn't shrink the party logo?igaeilge.wordpress.com by

igaeilge

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Tally- Ganley & Higgins , 50-50 in Loughrea boxes by

caseyorla

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counting has begun - early indications not promising by

adam_douglas3

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Dub south Lee tally v high with 1/3 boxes open. #le09 by

TheEmergency

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will be reportig from my local count and the new V ex Green result. it should be depressingeither way #le09 at 1pm by

stephencrowley

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Dublin Central - 45% turn out. Only one box open. FG Paschal Donoghue polling 40% outof first box. by

Suzy Byrne

at 6/6/2009 8:29:42 AM9:29 AM yesterday

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1/3 of boxes open in Dublin South - Lee Polling well - one box is 200plus for Lee, White 91,Brennan 55. (Newstalk) by

Suzy Byrne

at 6/6/2009 8:27:59 AM9:27 AM yesterday

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Details of the RTE/Sunday Independent exit poll carried out with Lansdowne research bywill begin to emerge from 11am by

RTE_Elections

viatwitter at 6/6/2009 8:25:24 AM9:25 AM yesterday

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Online from the Wicklow County Council Count Centre, will be posting regular updatesfrom the Tally by

skearon

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At the opening of the boxes in Letterkenny, looks like it's going to be a long day and ages before we even start to tally by

JoeBrennan

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Mary Hasafin on Newstalk admits some FF candidates shrank party logo as stipulated bytemplate for posters. #le09 by

TheEmergency

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This is a comment from a girl of Irish Girl, 23 present at the European Castlebar Count June 5th. I mean this with the highest level of respect for your perspective on this topic but obviously you were not present at the European count in Castlebar. Tallys did not match the final result by a long shot. Ireland's system is open to abuse in the highest regard. Talk to anyone with eyes at the Castlebar count, Do a little digging and see what you find. A number of legal requirements set down for the count in legislation were breeched and not adhered to. The candidates agents were not permitted to enter the count centre until after 9.00 am on the morning of the count even though these agents were present from 7.00 am of that morning. When candidates agents entered the count centre at the permitted time many of the ballot boxes and the enclosed envelopes were opened and their contents mixed and scattered across numerous trolley bins which held the votes prior to sorting and counting. The European Parliament Elections Act 1997 (Part X, Arrangements for the counting of the votes, article Preliminary Proceedings, 79.1 & 79.2) clearly states that: 79.—(1) On the day and commencing at the time appointed by the Minister under section 10 and at the place appointed under rule 77, the returning officer for the constituency shall, in the presence of the agents of the candidates, open the ballot boxes and the packets contained therein and extract the ballot papers therefrom. (2) The returning officer shall mix together the whole of the ballot papers and shall proceed to count the votes in accordance with this Schedule. Please note reports from inside the count centre suggest that boxes began to be opened from 7.00 am onwards within the presence of the candidate’s agents. This is obviously in breach of the legislation above. The envelopes enclosed within the ballot boxes have to be kept for public record. However, numerous envelopes were destroyed on the day of the count. Strange that an seasoned and very experienced returning officer could make such a major mistake? According to the

reply08 / 11 / 2009