Sligo County Council says it grants applications for inclusion on a postal voters’ list only when a valid application is submitted.
The issue of inclusion on the postal vote list has arisen following a complaint from Fine Gael over alleged fraud in relation to the list in the Ballymote/Tubbercurry/West Sligo area of County Sligo.
Fine Gael’s complaint to gardai relates to the granting of disabled postal votes and the eligibilty of some of those on the disabled voting register.
People on this register may vote by post if they are unable to go to a polling station due to illness or disability.
A list of ‘disabled’ postal voters obtained by Ocean FM News shows at least 14 listed as questionable disabled postal votes for one polling station, and at least 8 questionable for another.
Enda Candon, Fine Gael director of elections for Sligo/Leitrim, has been telling Ocean FM News the background behind the lodging of the party’s complaint to gardai.
In a statement to Ocean FM News, Sligo County Council says there are 252 postal votes for “Physical Illness or Disability” in the Ballymote-Tubbercurry electoral area.
The figures for the other electoral areas are 20 in Sligo-Strandhill 20, and 17 in Sligo-Drumcliff.
It says that in 2014 in Ballymote/Tubbercurry area, the figures for postal votes based on physical illness or disability was 131, and 159 for 2009.
The council says details of electors who receive postal votes are available for inspection at the Council Offices but the Council is not in a position to provide a copy of the list.
In relation to eligibility for inclusion on the list, the council says more than 20 medical practitioners signed the relevant documentation for postal vote applications for the Ballymote-Tubbercurry electoral area.
The Council says it is not in a position to disclose their names for Data Protection reasons.
Also, the Council insists it only grants an application for a postal vote where a valid application is submitted.
This includes medical certification/employers certificate or declaration by the applicant made before a Peace Commissioner or Commissioner for Oaths.
And the council says all applicants are advised that it is an offence to knowingly provide false information in their application.
As to whether or not the questions that have now arisen about the disability postal vote list will affect the eventual result of Friday’s election in the Ballymote/Tubbercurry/West Sligo area remains to be seen.
But one thing’s already certain — it will not be fully resolved before the election count this weekend.
