Madam, - Most commentators, both at home and abroad, seem to accept that the turnout for the recent Lisbon Treaty referendum was "high". At just over 50 per cent this does not seem to me to be the case. Just over 25 per cent of the electorate voted No.
While turnout, both at referendums and elections varies (from under 50 per cent to over 70 per cent), the overall trend is downward. This is a problem which needs to be addressed.
Some European countries have a system of compulsory voting. This seems to me to be an excellent idea: citizenship has responsibilities as well as privileges. A change to compulsory voting would require two major adjustments to our present system, one for referendums and one for elections.
In referendums, as well as the two options Yes or No, a third option, "I have insufficient information", would be required. If the majority of voters chose the third option, the vote would be invalid and, following a suitable information campaign, the question would have to be put to the people again.
In an election, an extra box would have to be added with the option: "None of the above candidates is acceptable to me". If the number choosing this option exceeded the quota then a by-election would have to be held, with a fresh list of candidates being offered to the electorate. This would have the advantage of making our political parties more responsive to the voters.
A debate on this matter might be timely; I believe electoral reform is on the Government's agenda. - Yours, etc,
KENNEDY P. O'BRIEN SJ,
Gonzaga College,
Sandford Road,
Dublin 6.
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Madam, - Madeleine Hellier (July 2nd) is incorrect in saying the outcome of the poll reflected "only myth, rumour, scaremongering and misinformation on one side and apathy on the other". The myth, rumour, scaremongering and misinformation came from both sides whilst the apathy came from those who chose not to vote at all.
If we are to learn any lessons from the referendum it is that there were too many issues involved to deal with the matter by means of an overall "take it or leave it" response. Surely it should be possible to offer an "à la carte" menu to voters covering such treaty subjects as defence, commissioner allocations, the EU presidency and foreign ministerial posts, integration of new states, etc. A poll framed in that way would determine what are the real concerns of the Irish people, whereas now we are left with just conjecture. - Yours, etc,
KEVIN O'SULLIVAN,
Ballyraine Park,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.