Half of Irish people want to be able to use e-voting in elections

Over half of Irish people say they would like to have the option of e-voting in elections.

Around 52% of us say if the option was given they would vote through electronic means, while 27% see traditional polling methods as outdated.

The research, released in October 2018, showed that over 460,000 people also said that they would have voted had 'e-voting' been available.

This comes as the Ireland South constituency for the European elections ordered a recount over 327 votes that were in the difference between Sinn Fein’s Liadh Ni Riada and Green Party’s Grace O’Sullivan.

The full recheck and recount was decided after the 18th count and could take up to a month for the results to be announced with it costing around €1 million.

In the survey set out by Pure Telecom, 17% of people said that the polling methods at the moment don’t cater for those who unable to travel to the stations.

And 18% of people said that the door to door campaigning gets ‘under voters skin’ more than any other method.

Presiding Officer Carmel McBride checks the name of a voter (left) as voting gets underway on the island of Inishbofin. (Niall Carson/PA Wire)

CEO of Pure Telecom Paul Connell said: “Our research shows that Irish adults are very open to the idea of voting by electronic means. In the digital age, people are used to being able to complete tasks with the touch of a button or screen – so electronic voting appeals to them.

"It may also help people who are unable to get to their polling station on election day – whether that is for health or travel reasons.”

Despite many saying they would like to vote electronically, 59% say the current means of voting are still preferred.

A woman leaves the polling station after casting her vote on the island Inishbofin, Ireland February 25, 2016. (REUTERS/Darren Staples)

If given the option, the most popular method of e-voting is online, followed by one in five people saying they would like to do it through a mobile app.

Paul said: “We know that young people tend to have a poorer turnout for general elections than older members of the electorate and this needs to be addressed.

“Exploring how various forms of communications technologies can securely engage young members of the electorate with the democratic process should be considered as a possible means to achieving this.”