We all love a good long count, right? Well, yes and no.
The Irish electoral system – or more specifically, PR-STV [proportional representation with a single transferable vote] combined with manual counting – produces high political drama. And this means everything is on the line as frazzled candidates await the distribution of votes in tightly fought contests.
The heady mix of jeopardy, exhaustion, triumph and disaster is not just a thrilling media narrative, but a component of Irish political culture.
And then, there are the other counts. For every dramatic race, like Marie Sherlock reeling in Gerry Hutch in Dublin Central during the 2024 general election count, there’s a Dublin Central 2026 contest where the result is clear from early tallies, but many hours of counting loom. Almost 16 in the RDS at the weekend, for those wondering.
RM Block
Your humble correspondent can also point to long hours in Cavan-Monaghan 2020 (election Saturday, final result Tuesday) and the 2019 divorce referendum (reporting time 4.30am, thanks to slow counts in Galway).
So, why can counts go on for so long? Some of the reasons are fairly obvious: in a large constituency, especially if turnout is high, there are simply a lot of votes to count. There are relatively low barriers to getting on a ballot sheet in most Irish elections, so they can be long: lots of candidates to eliminate, lots of votes to distribute. And if the margins are tight, partial or full recounts can be the order of the day.
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Joseph Smith, the returning officer for Cavan-Monaghan (often one of the latest constituencies to report), says the first count has to be bang on, with constant checking and rechecking to avoid problems down the line.
Experienced counters can help: “We have a core group of counters and that core group, we rely on them – they count in pairs, you pair a very experienced person with a not-so-experienced person,” says Smith.
Then there are the tricks of the trade. Veterans of the process say counts should effectively overlap – so after one count is finished, and disputed ballots are being judged, the next count should be getting under way before the result of the previous one is announced. Failing to employ techniques like this can lead to long gaps between counts. Even the most ardent leftie political operatives have been known to mutter darkly about mandated break times for counters as the hours drag on in the count centre.
Then, there are simple questions of resources. A five-seat constituency can demand as many as 200 counters, with between 80 and 100 for a three-seater, says Smith. More counters come at a higher cost, but could speed things up, as might bigger count centres to accommodate them.
Sprawling European constituencies present their own issues, with the Republic regularly voting earlier than other member states, but electing its MEPs much later.
Many MEPs from other countries know they’re elected by Monday morning and political groupings in the European Parliament begin organising planning meetings for early in the week – “meanwhile, we’ll be up in Carrick-on-Shannon staring at exclusions, non-transferables and disputed ballots”, says Fianna Fáil MEP for Dublin Barry Andrews.
Is there a better way of doing things? Well, the saga of the e-voting machines still casts a long shadow over Irish politics, so we won’t be treading that path again.
Kevin Humphries, the former Labour TD for Dublin South East is a figure of count renown for his ability to call elections early based on sampling just a few ballot boxes. He argues that while the Irish system takes a long time, it helps cement voters’ faith in the system.
“By and large, there’s huge confidence in the electoral system in Ireland. And I think that’s rightly justified,” he says. “While the counts may take a while, nobody ever questions their integrity or the honesty of the count.”
Advocates for a middle path of reform point to the experience of Malta, which shares our system but employs electronic counting (not voting).
During sorting, ballot papers are shown to party representatives, and once they are sorted, they are scanned. Delegates from the parties have several hours to inspect the numbers before an official result is announced. Electronic counting is something the electoral commission here has said should be considered.
Could this be a way forward? Maybe. But perhaps if we can’t handle the count centres at their worst, we don’t deserve them at their best.
