Following research carried out on the behalf of Peter Mooney who is contesting the upcoming Seanad elections on the National University of Ireland (NUI ) panel, it has emerged that Mayo has an above average representation on the electoral role for the NUI elections.
Nationally only 2.2 per cent of people can vote in the NUI Seanad elections with Mayo coming in over that with 2.25 per cent of the population eligible to cast their vote on this panel.
Some trends appeared with a number of towns having a well above average vote in the elections. In Claremorris a massive 14.7 per cent of the population can take part in the plebiscite, with Ballyhaunis and Swinford both coming in with over seven per cent of the population eligible. In total in Mayo there are 2,784 people on the register for the Seanad NUI elections with the biggest number of those being in Castlebar where there are 527 votes. Ballina has 491 in second place, with Claremorris coming in third with 382 votes and Westport fourth on 305. Both Castlebar and Ballina are well above the national average in terms of eligibility with 4.43 per cent and 4.72 per cent respectively able to vote in the election. Ballot papers should have arrived to most people on the register at this stage and voting is open from last Monday, March 21 until April 27 when it closes. There are three seats up for election in the NUI constituency.
