Limerick voters 'confused' by Family and Care referendums ballot papers

SOME voters in Limerick were confused by how ballot papers were designed in the Family and Care referendums as they cast their votes yesterday.

There was some confusion among voters in Limerick, as some found it difficult to tell from the ballot paper what they were being asked to vote for.

One person, who voted in Ahane, Lisnagry, said: "I actually thought, if someone wasn’t following what was happening they would not have known what meant what."

"I found myself double-checking my votes," she said. "To anybody who wasn't paying attention, the ballots were very vague."

Speaking of the information relayed during the referendum campaign, she said: "Obviously, information was important. In my opinion, I don't think it was well explained at all. And I don't think anybody on any side on the campaign bothered to explain it either."

Even though the Care referendum was on green paper and the Family referendum was on white paper, voters found the design to be confusing. 

"Some weren't sure which was which," said one person counting the votes in the Limerick count centre.

The confusion was not just about the ballots, but about the proposed referendums.

One voter from Castletroy said: "I was confused about the second vote for the care referendum and what it meant. I had my doubts about voting yes because I didn’t want to unknowingly vote in favour of a bill or referendum that would make the lives of people with disabilities more difficult."

Speaking at the count centre at Limerick Racecourse, Minister of State Kieran O'Donnell, with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, said the decision of the people is clear and must be respected.

"Once the formal outcome is declared, we in government will really have to reflect on why people voted no - there are probably a large number of reasons. Certainly, confusion was an aspect in the decision of people to vote no," he told reporters.

Counting is still under way in the two referendums on the issue of Family and Care. Early indications suggest that both proposed amendments could be defeated.