As Ireland prepares to head to the polls for the Presidential Election, bookmakers may be predicting the lowest turnout on record — but here at Drogheda Life, we’re encouraging everyone to make their voice heard and use their vote.
BoyleSports has set the odds at 4/11 that this election will see a smaller turnout than the 43.9% recorded in 2018, when Michael D. Higgins was re-elected. Whether or not you follow the betting, it’s a reminder that too many people are choosing to sit out one of the most fundamental rights we have in a democracy.
This election also comes with a sense of history. It was only 87 years ago, in 1938, that Douglas Hyde became the first President of Ireland. The person elected this week will be just the 10th President our country has ever had — following in the footsteps of two women and seven men who have previously held the office.
It’s worth remembering too that it was only in 1918 that Irish women were first permitted by law to vote — and only those over 30 and with property could do so. The Constitution of the Irish Free State later changed that, granting all citizens aged 21 and over the right to vote, “without distinction of sex.”
Now, just over a century later, the two final candidates for the presidency are both women — a powerful reflection of how far Ireland has come.
Still, many would have liked to see a broader range of candidates — people from backgrounds beyond politics, representing a wider spectrum of Irish life and experience. That diversity of choice is important to democracy too.
But whoever is on the ballot, the act of voting itself remains one of our most powerful tools for change. Having the right to vote is something generations before us fought hard to achieve. It’s not just a duty — it’s a privilege.
So as polling day approaches, we urge every eligible voter across the North East and beyond:
Take part. Cast your vote. Make your voice count.
You may not be happy with every choice on the ballot, but democracy only works when we show up. Let’s not let this election be remembered for low turnout — let’s make it a reminder of how much our votes still matter.
