Report imminent on Mayo 'invalid votes' controversy which cost SF seat

A Mayo TD has asked the Minister for Local Government Darragh O'Brien to reveal the number ballot papers that did not have the required indented perforation on them in each electoral area in the county in last June's local elections.

Deputy Michael Ring also wants data the number of spoiled votes in each electoral area.

The issue is a controversial one due to Swinford-based Sinn Féin candidate John Sheehan missing out on a seat after a number of his votes were deemed invalid because they did not have the required indented perforation.

The seat was won instead by outgoing Foxford Fine Gael Councillor Neil Cruise after a second recount.

In his response, the minister said his department compiles and publishes a report after local elections which sets out the results in each local electoral area and contains a detailed statistical analysis of the results based on returns received from all local authority returning officers.

"This report includes a breakdown of invalid ballot papers at local authority level based on the reason for their invalidity.

"The report is currently being compiled by my department and will be published in due course.

"The Local Elections Regulations 1995 provide that a Local Authority Returning Officer, appointed by the chief executive of a local authority, is responsible for the conduct of a local election.

"This includes ascertaining and declaring the results of an election, and furnishing to the local authority a return of the persons elected to be members of the local authority.

"The returning officer is responsible for ruling on the validity of a ballot paper. The results of the 2024 local elections for Mayo County Council in each local authority area are available on the Mayo County Council website .

"The published results include the number of invalid ballot papers in each local electoral area," he outlined.

Reacting to the statement, Deputy Ring said it's a scandal that every ballot paper cast in Mayo last June did not have the required indented perforation.

"People appointed to sit in voting stations on the days of election are paid very well and they should not be making these kind of mistakes.

"Consequently, action needs to be taken to ensure they are not repeated," he added.