Electoral registration vital
Hundreds of votes lost in West Tyrone
By Mick Naughton.
In the last Westminster election, the failure of hundreds of
nationalists to register in the new constituency of West Tyrone
helped a Unionist take the seat.
This was revealed at a press conference at which Sinn Féin's Six
County Director of Elections Dodie McGuinness urged all
nationalists to complete and return their electoral registration
forms currently awaiting collection from electoral office staff.
This, she stressed, will avoid anyone being removed from the
electoral register, something which was a feature in the two
election campaigns Sinn Féin fought last May. Then, potential
voters who arrived at Sinn Féin offices on election day after
they had been turned away from polling stations complained about
being taken off the register, but had not checked prior to the
actual polling day. That, coupled with not having valid
identification, probably prevented Sinn Féin from increasing
their tally of elected representatives.
other feature highlighted by Omagh Sinn Féin councillor Francie
Mackey is the possibility of another election or referendum
appearing next year after May 98.
Mackey said that a good example of nationalists losing out was
the recent West Tyrone Westminister election. The constituency
has a nationalist majority, yet is represented by a Unionist MP.
On polling day many voters came to Sinn Féin election
headquarters puzzled that they were not on the register. Hundreds
of votes were lost in this new seat
``For whatever reason hundreds of people had either not filled in
the form or checked earlier at their local Sinn Féin office or
public library that they were actually registered to vote.''
Electoral officers will knocking on every door in the Six
Counties to collect completed forms between 25 August and 27
September ``You only have to state that you were present at the
address on the one specific date in September, the 15th, so
nobody should be worried on this account,'' Dodie McGuinness said.
``Handing back the form also avoids further work and inconvenience
to have people included on the register at a later date.
``Anyone who needs assistance or advice in completing a form
should immediately contact their local Sinn Féin representative
as the importance of this exercise cannot be over-emphasised.
Nationalists face enough obstacles in relation to exercising
their democratic right to vote within this Six County statelet.
They shouldn't make that task more difficult.''
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