Clare County Registrar Warns A Spoiled Vote Is "As If The Person Hadn't Voted" As Polls Open

Clare's County Registrar says a spoiled vote is "as if the person hadn't voted". A total of 94,054 people are going to polling stations countywide today to indicate their preference for the next occupant of Áras an Uachtaráin. People will have three choices on the ballot paper; Independent Catherine Connolly, Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys and Fianna Fáil's Jim Gavin. A ballot paper is considered a spoiled vote when it's left blank, boxes are ticked rather than numbered, the order of preference isn't clear, the writing isn't legible, the voter identifies themselves in some way or anything is written other than the order of preference. Polling stations are open until 10pm today, and Clare County Registrar and Returning Officer Rita Considine says even if you accidentally spoil your vote, it doesn't count in the electoral process.