Why Voting Is So Important – No Matter The Election

This year’s presidential election saw 45.83% of Irish citizens using their vote. That’s not even half of the country. Although presidential elections in Ireland notoriously experience much lower voter turnout than other elections (the 2018 presidential election in which Michael D. Higgins was reelected for a second term saw a miserable 43.87%), we should be concerned at the lack of enthusiasm our population has towards exercising our right to vote. 

Ireland is a democratic country, and the best way to maintain a fair democracy is to constantly exercise your right as a citizen to use your voice. A democracy can collapse if its citizens become too passive or indifferent to the state of their government. So if you see the value in living in a country where you can get any sort of a say as to what kind of people are representing you and your needs, then you should be able to see the importance of using your vote. Every time.

The reason so many people don’t bother voting during the presidential elections is because the role of ‘president’ here isn’t seen as being as important as it is in other countries. The president of Ireland is more of a representative role, the face of the country, rather than someone with much control over the state. They have a lot less executive power as the likes of Donald Trump. But that doesn’t mean that our president is pointless, or not worth voting for. 

The main role of the President of Ireland is to be a representative for the country, a diplomat. The POS travels to other countries to visit other world leaders and embrace their cultures and politics, while also welcoming foreign leaders to Ireland. It’s essential that we, the public, are able to choose someone who we think represents our country and our people in the best way. As the face of the country, our President should reflect the values and attitudes that the Irish public cherish. Not only that, but presidents have often played crucial roles in making the public feel more united as a nation, which we saw with Mary Robinson’s immense efforts to promote peace in Ireland in the lead up to the Good Friday agreement. 

 

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As the President has a very diplomatic role, it’s important that we choose a leader who will use their global platform to call out injustices happening in the world. On a number of occasions in the last couple of years, Michael D. Higgins has spoken out against the genocide happening in Gaza and the West Bank, and in doing so not only did he rally thousands of Irish people to go out and demand action from their own government and those abroad, but he also sent a message to the world that Ireland does not tolerate oppression or violence. And the most important thing about all of this is that we, the public, were able to choose him as our President.

Our vote is just as significant, if not more, when it comes to general elections. That’s where all of that executive power is. The most effective thing we can do to make sure that the problems in this country are acknowledged and dealt with is electing people who genuinely want to fix those problems. It would be naive to think that all politicians have the public’s interests at heart, and throughout the years we’ve seen that our government sometimes only works to serve themselves. But there are people in this country who are passionate about helping the public and building a better Ireland, a country that feels safe, welcoming and liveable for everyone. Whether it’s a specific party that you feel best represents your values, or a local politician who is determined to make your area a cleaner, more eco-friendly space, use your vote to promote them. It’s the only way we can bring positive change to the country. 

Catherine Connolly’s recent success gave us hope that maybe Ireland isn’t doomed, that maybe we can hold out against this wave of far-right bigotry and violence that’s been sweeping the world recently. But we should also look at it as a reminder that we, the public, have the power to decide what kind of people are representing us, what kind of people are writing up and signing off on bills that we have to live by. It’s easy to feel like there’s nothing you can do to help when you see everything that’s happening around us on the news. Across the world, innocent families are being bombed and attacked by oppressive regimes, and now here, in a country that used to be known for its friendliness and hospitality, innocent families are being torched out of their only shelters by fireworks thrown by violent, hateful people. 

Throwing the towel in and deciding there’s nothing you can do to help is the worst thing you can decide to do right now. Not everyone can afford to donate money, and not everyone can attend massive protests. But one thing that every citizen in this country can do is register to vote. And use their vote. It may seem pointless and insignificant to you right now, but first, think about how lucky you are to live in a country where your life doesn’t depend on who is in power. And second, think about the people around you whose lives actually do.

Homeless people, refugees, minorities, women. All of these groups suffer greatly when the wrong people come into power. We see it all around the world, and we’ve seen it in Ireland. Mother and baby homes, the criminalisation of abortion that cost so many women their lives, and now the violent riots happening across the country that are putting refugees and immigrants in great danger. There are people to be held accountable for all of these things, and most of the time those people are in government positions. If you are really convinced that “politics doesn’t affect you”, then at least act on behalf of the people that it does.

The idea that politics doesn’t affect you is also very harmful. Most of our political parties, at least the ones that are taken seriously, are not nearly as extreme in their ideas as those in the USA, Middle East or even the UK. However, that doesn’t mean that the choices our government is making don’t have negative impacts on you. The grave housing crisis that we are currently facing, affecting thousands and thousands of people across the country, is only getting worse because our leaders are neglecting to take any meaningful action to end it. The cost of living in Ireland has skyrocketed, making us the second most expensive country in the EU. At the same time, our public facilities fall short compared to many of our neighbouring countries. Just look at our public transport system!

Voting might feel like a tiny step in creating a better life for ourselves and the people around us, and it is in fact just a step, but a very significant one. Your vote is your voice, and you need to use that voice to hold leaders accountable and promote the ones that genuinely care about the future of Ireland and its people.