An Post has denied that there is any delay in the dispatch of 150,000 ballot papers for the Seanad elections for the NUI and Dublin Universities, saying voters should receive their registered mail envelopes today.
The company was responding to allegations by Senator Shane Ross, who is standing again in the Dublin University (Trinity College, Dublin, TCD) constituency, who described as "a certain mockery of the democratic process" the fact that ballots sent by registered mail last Tuesday, June 19th, would not be delivered for six days at the earliest.
Mr Ross said An Post had told him that "handling 150,000 extra registered mails on one day was a big job and would take time".
Barney Whelan, spokesman for An Post, said the company had an agreement with both universities to collect the ballots by June 19th and distribute them by June 25th. He said the normal daily figure for registered mail is 12,000 items: "The process of registering letters is longer than for ordinary post. The emphasis is on security rather than speed."
Mr Whelan said upwards of three million communications from candidates had to be delivered before ballot papers and that some candidates had not had their material with An Post by the June 15th deadline. The process was "being very tightly managed," with international addresses being given priority, and that by Friday "all ballots were in the network", he said.
NUI said it had received no complaints from candidates but there had been enquiries from graduates. "There is no delay. We have been explaining to people when they would be getting their votes. An Post told us from the word 'go' that it was a physical impossibility to do it [any quicker]."
A TCD spokesman said An Post "have told us they just don't have the resources".