HOW DOES VOTING WORK IN IRISH DEMOCRACY? 24 INVESTIGATE THE DATA A The 2018 presidential election
We have just learned how Ireland’s PR-STV voting system works in theory. Now take a closer look at a recent example in practice and answer the questions that follow.
Presidential Election 2018 Party Candidate Share First Pref Votes
1. Who won the presidential election in 2018? 2. What percentage of first-preference votes did the winner receive? 3. How many first-preference votes did the candidate in second place get?
4. How many valid votes were there? What percentage is this of the people who could have turned out to vote?
5. From what you have learned in this chapter about quotas, can you explain why the winner was elected on the first count?
6. Can you remember anything about this election or the campaign before it? If so, what?