CALL FOR POLLING STATIONS AT NUIG AND GMIT IN FUTURE

Date Published: 25-Jun-2012

Voter turnout in Galway for the recent Fiscal Treaty Referendum would have been considerably higher if third level students had a polling station on campus.

That’s according to MEP Jim Higgins who says it was unreasonable to expect students to make the journey to their home towns to vote, especially when the referendum fell during exam time.

The Fine Gael MEP says efforts should be made by government to facilitate these new voters in all major cities.

Nationally, more than 3.1 million people were entitled to vote on the proposed thirtieth amendment to the constitution – but only around half did so.

MEP Higgins says thousands of students in NUIG and GMIT are disenfranchised by the logistic difficulties presented by voting.