The power is in your hands

BY the time you read this article, you’ll only have a few more hours to enjoy (or endure!) the countdown to General Election 2016.

When Enda travelled to the park to dissolve the 31st Dáil on February 3, it sent the country into election frenzy.

Simply put: it has been unrelenting with wall-to wall media coverage since, giving us debate after debate, fiery exchanges, back-stabbing, digging up of skeletons, broken promise reminders, fresh promises that candidates vow to stick by, election posters overkill, baby-kissing, and of course, dropping into the elderly folk in forgotten rural Ireland for the ‘Mrs Doyle’ cup of tea. 

But there comes a time in every race where it actually has to start, and by the end of it, there’ll be winners and losers. 

After an intense weekend of counting with the pencil and paper (we’re still scarred by the electronic voting machines, aren’t we?), we’ll have a fair idea who will lead the next Government. Once the arithmetic is sorted, a bit of good old bartering between the main protagonists will commence. Following the overtures, those who previously said: “we’ll never go in with them”, might just have a change of heart and say “well, you know, that was then, this is now, maybe we could cut a deal”.

The field for this race is particularly congested. Once upon a time we only had the main parties really, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Féin and the Greens, but for this election we will have the new kids on the block such as RENUA Ireland, Independent Alliance (IA),  and the Social Democrats. 

Add to the mix People Before Profit/Anti Austerity Alliance, and of course the numerous Independents (who really are Independents) and you can see there will be plenty to tempt you when you go to cast your vote.

Of course, exercising your right to vote is the most important issue as you have the opportunity to play your part in the formation of the 32nd Dáil by popping down to your local polling station this Friday. 

When weighing up the credentials of each candidate and each party, the most important thing for the electorate is that they actually vote.

Statistics have shown that Ireland has had a low average turnout for general elections compared to our European neighbours. 

Something tells me it’s going to be very different this time round given the spate of protests across the country over the last five years with TDs being harangued at their constituency offices and at public engagements (anyone remember Joan Burton and Tallaght?).

Of course, everyone has a right to peaceful protest but now in the calm confines of the polling station, those vociferous protesters might just channel all that anger into the mere push of a pen.    

But remember, if you turn down the opportunity to vote, you pass up the right to complain when the new Government has its feet under the table in Leinster House and is busy implementing its policies.    

Also, you’ll have to bear the ignominy of the so-called expert election pundits putting you in the ‘voter apathy’ category. You can shock them by voting in huge, unprecedented numbers. 

Many constituency battles have been fought over the years with just a handful of votes making the difference – and they could be yours.

By the weekend you will probably become an expert on manifestos, proportional representation, tallymen, transfers, floating votes, voter apathy, gender quotas, coalitions, rainbow Governments and the like, and will be going to bed dreaming (or having nightmares!) of all the various leaders’ debates that have featured on TV recently.

However, the time for all the talking has stopped. 

This Friday, the power is in your hands!