Candidates and tally personnel communicating with vote count staff will be ‘immediately removed’

The Returning Officer for Tipperary and Courts Sheriff for Tipperary, Waterford, Limerick and Clare was commenting ahead of voting for local and European Parliament elections at polling stations this Friday and counting at count centres starting on Saturday.

Mr Seymour told the Irish Examiner that count staff who communicate with anyone outside the barrier will be “dismissed on the spot”.

His remarks come as the Irish Council for Civil Liberties expressed concern at reports of recent “harassment and violence” targeting local and European election candidates and canvassers. It also said there were reportedly concerns among gardaí about the “security and safety of election count and polling centres”.

The ICCL called for action to be taken to ensure that candidates, canvassers and people involved in the electoral process are allowed to carry out their work “without intimidation, threats or violence”.

The country’s 28 returning officers, who work for local authorities, are primarily responsible for security at polling stations and count centres and a 100-metre zone outside the buildings where no political campaigning or intimidation of, or interference with, prospective voters is allowed.

Mr Seymour said they work with gardaí, who maintain regular patrols in each district on polling day and “call in at regular intervals” to each polling station. “We also have private security in place,” Mr Seymour said, reflecting the trend in many polling stations and count centres.

He said he travels around from 6am until close of poll to maintain “a high level of supervision”. They also have area inspectors who regularly patrol the polling stations in their respective areas.

Mr Seymour said regular checks will be conducted inside the 100-metre zone around polling stations to prevent any political campaigning or potential intimidation of, or interference with, potential voters or staff. All staff have telephone numbers for their local garda in the event of any issues arising.

Zero tolerance

Regarding any possible threats to election staff, he said their safety has “always been a priority” and there is a “zero tolerance” approach to such threats, all of which will be reported to gardaí.

In relation to potential interference from tally personnel — in particular those representing far-right candidates standing for the first time — on count staff, Mr Seymour said: “All candidates and tally personnel have been expressly notified that any communication whatsoever with the count staff will result in their immediate ejection from the count centres.” 

He said staff have been notified to inform their supervisor of any incident and added that any count staff engaging in communication with tally personnel will be “dismissed on the spot”.

Asked if he expects any interference from far-right candidates or representatives, he said: “No. Local elections have always been robust and we have always taken a zero tolerance approach.”

ICCL has called on social media platforms to investigate and remove harassment and threats of violence against individuals and parties who are involved in the electoral process.