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Home Page > News > Irish Diaspora has spoken - vote Michael D Higgins as Ireland’s president

Irish Diaspora has spoken - vote Michael D Higgins as Ireland’s president

2,500 Irish emigrants vote as Labour candidate chosen in symbolic vote

MOLLY MULDOON,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 7:07 AM

Updated Friday, November 11, 2011, 5:07 PM

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Irish presidential hopeful, Labour Party candidate Michael D Higgins

Photo by Google Images

Live coverage of the Irish presidential election on IrishCentral - Friday, October 28th

Labor candidate Michael D Higgins has won the symbolic online presidential election, hosted by BallotBox.ie, with 40 percent of the first preference votes. Over 2,500 Irish emigrants around the world voted in the online poll, which ran for six days.

Senator David Norris came in second with 24 percent , followed by Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness in third with 18 percent. Sean Gallagher finished fifth with 10 percent while both Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell and Independent Mary Davis came in with three percent. Dana Rosemary Scallon came in with just 1 percent of the vote.

Voters from over 97 countries contributed, with the UK, the U.S, Australia, Canada, and Germany providing the most votes. Other votes came from Estonia, Malawi, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.

Some 2,581 Irish emigrants logged on over the six day period to cast their virtual vote. IP technology and passport information was used to block voters in Ireland.

__________

Businessman confirms he gave Sean Gallagher a check for Fianna Fail

Gallagher accuses Martin McGuinness of ‘ambush and a hatchet job’

_________

Founded by Irish emigrants, the organizers of BallotBox.ie said on Tuesday that they had received an overwhelming response from Irish emigrants throughout the world.

Current Irish law doesn’t cater for Irish citizens residing abroad to cast a vote. In response to this, BallotBox.ie was founded in the run up to the Irish general election to offer Irish emigrants a symbolic vote.

“We are just happy to have the support and to realize we are not the only Irish citizens who are missing polling day,” co-founder Brian Reynolds told the IrishCentral.

Ballotbox.ie advocates a change in the law so that recent emigrants who have been resident in Ireland within the past 5, 10, or 15 years retain their vote.

Nster.com

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sirpeter | Oct 26, 2011, 10:31 PM EDT

Well Georgie Boy.Antoman has a vote.It makes him important.He has a real say.He is a VIP when it comes to THIS country.Antoman can't vote in YOUR country and I can't either.I would love Irish America to be able to vote on certain issues in Ireland.But I'm not sure how many partial Irish American idiots are in the States.I know there is one.It's almost too much.

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seanomelbourne | Oct 26, 2011, 05:48 PM EDT

If McGuinness out polls Gallagher it may be an interesting election.

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GeorgeDillon | Oct 26, 2011, 12:52 PM EDT

antoman: You're going to vote? So they no longer have a literacy test for voters over there? Good thing they put pictures on the ballot paper!

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GeorgeDillon | Oct 26, 2011, 12:50 PM EDT

TomSwinford -- So how come YOU didn't run. If the others are so bad, maybe even you could have been elected?

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pilib04 | Oct 26, 2011, 11:45 AM EDT

less impressed when i saw the actual number. still might be a harbinger and perhaps explain the betting.

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cillowen | Oct 26, 2011, 11:29 AM EDT

PUT HIM ON A BOX - he can't reach - needs elevating. let me say this about that, Norris, is one, nail on blackboard annoying brit-is chap. That says much for the anglo lovers who wants back in commonwealth prestige. Buried RCs sheepishly yawn - their rewards are in the suffering for their jesus who's left them impotent.

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newnation | Oct 26, 2011, 10:56 AM EDT

tomgallaher, fianna fail person by chance? maybe you haven't realised that leprachauns don't exist yet? where ever you are in the world i'm glad it ain't ireland cause i can promise you if thats your opinion we are glad to see that back of you! we might finally have a president that has some solid beliefs besides money money money all the time!!

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Paradigm | Oct 26, 2011, 10:48 AM EDT

This summary suggests that either Ireland hasn't a clue what it wants or, more likely, that the Presidential election is a superficial game dictated and managed by the bookies. Just remember - unless the electorate begins to do some serious longer-term thinking - the bookie always fixes the odds and always wins.

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cillowen | Oct 26, 2011, 10:41 AM EDT

a leprechaun for the republic - what an end to the basket case entity that's quite happy with its poodle head missing.

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cillowen | Oct 26, 2011, 10:02 AM EDT

Early in this election campaign I said in these pages that Higgins was the best of a sorry lot, and McGuinness the most unworthy of all. It was truly disheartening to see that this was, apparently, the best we could do.

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tomgallagher | Oct 26, 2011, 09:26 AM EDT

Just because Higgins looks like a Leprauchan is no reason to vote for him. He would be a disaster for the Republic.

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MichaelMcGrath | Oct 26, 2011, 09:18 AM EDT

We are selling ourselves from the cradle to the grave. The new president looks like being Higgins after the Gallagher debacle. But is Higgins the right person ? We all know his reputation on issues like the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and of course his hostility to Israel. Worthy as these issues are when you throw in his human rights activities, his pompous personality, unimpressive physique, love at being known as an intellectual and cultured (open to question) but most of all an extreme left winger, can we afford to have such a person represent Ireland. Will those in Washington DC, London, Paris and many other capitals be receptive to such a person selling Ireland ? Obviously I do not think so and if it appears Higgins is my only problem the other six are not far behind him in my reservations.

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antoman | Oct 26, 2011, 08:05 AM EDT

There is a moratorium in Ireland at present which forbids the media from speaking of the election. Of course this does not extend to you lot in America. With that I will say here that I will vote and leave it at that. Slainte.

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