There are usually police outside the polling station, but not inside. There have been police corruption scandals in Ireland over the years, but in general the police enjoy a kind of public confidence and are seen as politically neutral.
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You take the turnout of the constituency, divide it by the number of seats, add one, and that's the "quota". A candidate is elected if they reach the quote. Some reach it on "1" votes alone. They get right in!
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When a candidate reaches the quota, all of their ballots are then re-counted but looking at the "2" votes. These votes are then distributed to those other candidates, in proportion to the elected candidate's surplus (the number of votes more than the quota they got).
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That raises the total for the other candidates, and maybe they reach the quota, and the same thing happens for them. Otherwise, the candidates that can't possibly be elected are eliminated, and the next preferences from their ballots are redistributed.
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This means there can be as many counts as there are candidates. It usually takes all day, sometimes 2, and that's before recounts! But it's worth it, it means that people's votes are never "wasted". Your vote can always go to someone.
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A few other things: some ballots are spoiled - some observers and representatives from parties adjudicate on these. Unclear votes are discarded, votes with identifying marks can be argued over. Generally returning officers want to favor including them than excluding.
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There's a media moratorium on polls in the 24 hours before an election, a period of reflection. And there's a referendum commission who writes neutral advice on the referendums and sends it to everyone. http://refcom.ie for their take on this week's.
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Ireland's turnout rates haven't been great for the past 20 years or so, but in general it's still a pretty robust democracy. As I write, my parents are out canvassing and knocking on doors to encourage people to vote! /end
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End of conversation
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