Sharon Keogan defends spoiling ballots as democratic right
Sharon Keogan addressed the presidential election and defended the act of spoiling a ballot as a legitimate democratic choice for voters who do not support any candidate. She rejected labelling spoiling votes as subversion and urged people not to stay home but to make their voices heard.
Main points
Keogan criticised what she called bureaucratic proceduralism, arguing that complaints about spoiling votes confuse rules with democracy. She said voters who find no candidate they believe in should consider spoiling their ballot as a peaceful, dissident and ultimately constructive act.
Historical examples cited
Keogan invoked historical precedents to challenge the claim that spoiling votes is anti-democratic - 73 Irish MEPs refusing seats to form the first Dáil, Parnell obstructing Westminster and Daniel O'Connell standing for election knowing he could not take his seat. She used these examples to argue that dissent has long been part of the nation’s political practice.
Call to action to voters
She commended those who will vote in the privacy of the ballot box and explicitly encouraged those who see no one on the ballot to go out and spoil their vote rather than abstain. She said it is a legal right, peaceful and potentially constructive, and even quipped that voters "can even vote for Jim Gavin if they want."
Critique of the current campaign
Keogan warned of a nation at a "dangerous boiling point," noting this is the first campaign in decades with only two candidates and alleging that political parties ordered members to obstruct candidates of different views. She contrasted this with politicians taking selfies at campaign concerts.
Personal acknowledgement
She closed by thanking Linda for highlighting People Giving Blood and People Giving Iron, noting she benefits from that blood three times a year and thanking those programmes for keeping her alive. She concluded with the words "Go raibh mai agat."
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To address the presidential election and the growing campaign calling for people to spoil their vote, some have said spoiling your vote is a subversion to our democracy. I would ask such people to look around the houses they find themselves in today and to look at the portraits on its wall. Was it subversion of democracy when 73 Irish MEPs refused their seats in the British-approved parliament to become the first Dáil? Was it subversion of democracy when Parnell obstructed Westminster? Was it subversion of democracy when Daniel O'Connell stood for election knowing he could not take his seat? No, such people are not speaking about democracy. What they mean is bureaucratic proceduralism. And while they fret over rules and meal language, what do we see on our streets? We see a nation reaching a dangerous boiling point, while politicians take selfies at campaign concerts. We have for the first time in decades a campaign with only two candidates. We have political parties that ordered their members to obstruct candidates of all views and backgrounds which were not their own. We have an election which for many people, struggling to live and struggling to be heard, seem to be happening in some parallel fantasy version of Ireland. I commend all Irish people who will exercise their democratic right on Friday and will vote, as they are legally entitled to do so, in the privacy of the ballot box for whomever they like or however they like. They can even vote for Jim Gavin if they want. But for all those who see no one on the ballot box they believe in, do not sit at home. You can still make your voice heard. And if you want, go out and spoil your vote. It may be dissident, but it is peaceful. It may be controversial, but it will ultimately be constructive. It is your right. It is democracy. Go raibh mai agat. And I also want to say, Linda, thank you for highlighting People Giving Blood, because I benefit of that blood three times a year. I benefit from People Giving Iron as well. So thank you for highlighting that, because you deserve keeping me alive. Thank you.
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