Lisbon Treaty

[pineapple stu]

Just on the comments about this poll, Foot.ie polls generally get it "wrong", i.e. the results here tend to go against the actual results. The same goes for Boards.ie. I think that Irish web communities tend to lean to liberalism more than meatspace.

adam

Younger sample. In 30 years' time, the country will be perfect!

Should probably kill all females too, just to be on the safe side.

[jebus]

But you're supporting them now. If you don't trust them on other issues why on this one? I also disagree with what you are saying. here is no reason for a treaty not to be readable by all literate adults. (and illiterate politicians).

I trust Libertas, Sinn Fein and the Catholic Church even less though. I've read the Treaty and feel I understand some aspects of it (granted you'd need to take a course on it to fully understand it), and am in favour of a common defence and environment policy. I also hope that, despite the main party assurances to the contrary, that we may get such things as abortion brought into this country without the hysterical bleating of the Church, Sinn Fein and that month's Libertas when it is brought to an inevitable referendum.

As for hopefully getting rid of pointless referendums, well I don't trust the Irish public to make an informed decision on anything, we as a people seem to be even easier to lead by the media than most, possibly because we don't have the strict Party voting that places like Britain or America do, not that that's a great method of deciding either

Our constitution requires a referendum on European Union treaties

Yeah, like I was saying, I hope to get rid of that. I'm not one for saying 'it was in the constitution that was drawn up decades ago so we must hold true to it'. Times change, countries change, people change and we all must learn to move on

[Calcio Jack]

Was undecided as to how to vote as I entered the polling booth. Then looked at the ballot paper..which simply asked something like " Do you agree with the amendment to the Irish Constitution"....now I knew exactly what the proposed ammendment involved was ie the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and acceptance of it's effect on our own Constitution.

However I felt that the overly simplistic manner in which the ballot paper was worded wasn't fair to anyone who hadn't studied in great detail the issue. Thus I went back to the table where I'd checked in my voting card and asked for a detailed copy of what I was being asked to vote on...was met by a combination of blank stare/are you an eejit sure everyone knows and finally we haven't anything.... I went back and voted 'no' on the basis that if the powers that be couldn't offer me a explanation of what it was about, then why should i vote yes... in effect we were being asked yesterday to sign an agreeement without being shown the small print

[OneRedArmy]

Turnout doesn't indicate a result. The count does. Whether the turnout is 40% or 80%, every voter has the 50/50 choice of which box to mark..

Technically correct, in practice an irrelevant comment. Both sides have acknowledged that the greater the turnout the greater propensity of Yes votes.

Our constitution requires a referendum on European Union treaties. However, our constitution, drawn up at the foundation of the State, will be torn up in 60 pieces tomorrow should there be a Yes vote, replaced by the EU Constitution, i.e. France, Germany, and the UK's rules, not ours.

If thats your fear, you're about 10 years too late.

[noby]

Uhm, the powers that be did offer explanations, and for and against arguments. They just didn't provide them at the polling stations. Polling stations are for polling.

I voted Tá.

[passinginterest]

I voted yes. Last minute decision too. I think the fact that so many different organisations came together on the yes side, many of whom are frequently at each others throats, swung it in the end. With Sinn Fein and a dodgy organisation called 'Libertas' championing a no vote I couldn't quite go that way. Very disappointed with the lack of information from the yes side though, it was more or less a case of 'do what you're told', if I wasn't generally pro European I'd have definitely voted no.

I also may have spoiled my vote, I didn't think the punch holes were fully through so I tried to fix them and may have ripped it a little. I was considering spoiling it anyway, that's how on the fence I was.

[Stevo Da Gull]

Should probably kill all females too, just to be on the safe side.

That's a bit OTT.... just take away their voting rights

[anto1208]

Was undecided as to how to vote as I entered the polling booth. Then looked at the ballot paper..which simply asked something like " Do you agree with the amendment to the Irish Constitution"....now I knew exactly what the proposed ammendment involved was ie the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and acceptance of it's effect on our own Constitution.

However I felt that the overly simplistic manner in which the ballot paper was worded wasn't fair to anyone who hadn't studied in great detail the issue. Thus I went back to the table where I'd checked in my voting card and asked for a detailed copy of what I was being asked to vote on...was met by a combination of blank stare/are you an eejit sure everyone knows and finally we haven't anything.... I went back and voted 'no' on the basis that if the powers that be couldn't offer me a explanation of what it was about, then why should i vote yes... in effect we were being asked yesterday to sign an agreeement without being shown the small print

The treaty itself was there for all to see.

This has annoyed me this time people saying i dont understand it then you ask them

did you read the treaty ? NO
did you read the booklet sent out to you ? No
Did you watch /listen to any of the shows that outlined it ? No Its the goverments fault i dont know whats in it

[Lionel Ritchie]

Listening to the tallies coming in on Pat Kenny and even with the cautions about early tallies -it's dead in the water. A solid NO all over the shop ...even in many middle class areas.

[Calcio Jack]

The treaty itself was there for all to see.

This has annoyed me this time people saying i dont understand it then you ask them

did you read the treaty ? NO
did you read the booklet sent out to you ? No
Did you watch /listen to any of the shows that outlined it ? No Its the goverments fault i dont know whats in it

My point is that when I asked for a copy at my polling station , they didn't offer it to me..but treated me with distain and seemed annoyed that I was looking for help. If as you say it was there for all to see then surely not too much to expect when I asked for it that they might show it to me...

[pete]

However I felt that the overly simplistic manner in which the ballot paper was worded wasn't fair to anyone who hadn't studied in great detail the issue.

Definitely the worst argument for voting one way or the other I have heard so far. Did you think you could read the Treaty at the polling station before you voted? Did you read the booklet at home? Maybe you are new to referendums but they always refer to a piece of legislation.

[noby]

Sounds to me like you were looking for an excuse to vote no.
If you were unhappy with the 'facilities' at the polling station why didn't you walk away? Or spoil your vote? Why should that warrant a No vote?

[GavinZac]

My point is that when I asked for a copy at my polling station , they didn't offer it to me..but treated me with distain and seemed annoyed that I was looking for help. If as you say it was there for all to see then surely not too much to expect when I asked for it that they might show it to me...

2 detailed leaflets, one in the legalese speak of the actual treaty and the other a breakdown by the Referendum Commission, were delivered to your door. This wasn't enough? Instead you ask a few laypeople with no more important role than cross out names on a register for advice, despite their express instructions not to influence people in any way? And then, rebuffed, you choose one side over the other, as if the people at the desk were the Yes side, and a personal dislike swayed you more than threats of joblessness or EU imperialism? From previous arguments, you don't always come across as the most lucid of thinkers, but this was certainly foggy thinking.

[Mr A]

One thing that was remarkable to me was the reasons people were giving for voting No. The No campaign was very effective in scaremongering. My wife was telling me that everyone in her workplace said they were voting no because otherwise their sons would end up conscripted into a European army FFS!

People seem to have voted no for an incredible variety of reasons, many of which were completely bogus in my opinion.

[Sheridan]

I love early morning coverage of elections and referenda on RTÉ. Everyone jumps on the bandwagon of ~1% complete tallies only to go furiously into reverse at the slightest indication that they might have been wrong.

I'd love to know who defined what were middle class and working class areas.

[pete]

Open question to all:

* What persuaded you to vote Yes/No ?

Personally I was really not influenced by any of the campaigners. In the early days Libertas made a lot of nose until I read up who they were, then discounted everything they said. Was thinking of a protest No vote why Bertie was still there but don't know if you have gone through with. Decided yes based on my own reading.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I love early morning coverage of elections and referenda on RTÉ. Everyone jumps on the bandwagon of ~1% complete tallies only to go furiously into reverse at the slightest indication that they might have been wrong.

Listen in Sheridan. They're now giving acurate tallies from right across the country with cross section of urban, rural, socio-economic samples and they are quite consistently No. Where Yes is in front it is barely in front and is proving to be very much the exception rather than the rule. There'll be no backpeddling on RTE today. It's becoming quite bankable.

I'd love to know who defined what were middle class and working class areas.

I'm sure they take into account a number of factors including past Dail returns, property valuations and whether or not they get shiney new buses every twenty minutes or clapped out ones that may or may not turn up hourly.

[jebus]

I was influenced by my own reading on the Treaty (in favour of a common defence and environment policy), and my dislike/mistrust of Libertas, Sinn Fein and the Catholic Church

[jebus]

whether or not they get shiney new buses every twenty minutes or clapped out ones that may or may not turn up hourly.

By that criteria I live in Favala section of Dublin so

[GavinZac]

By that criteria I live in Favala section of Dublin so

Fassaugh Avenue?