Declan Ganley has urged supporters of Maria Steen to spoil their ballot paper in next month’s Presidential Election. 

Nominations closed last week and voters will be presented with a choice of Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin and left-wing independent Catherine Connolly. 

Social conservative Maria Steen fell short of the 20 Oireachtas members required to get on the ballot, despite a surge of support at the last minute. 

“Rarely has the political consensus seemed more oppressive or detached from the wishes and desires of the public,” she lamented afterwards. 

On The Hard Shoulder, businessman Declan Ganley claimed that this year’s election had exposed serious failings in the country’s democratic system. 

 “There’s a long history in democracy of having the option to do a write in,” he explained. 

“For example, Senator Lisa Murkowski was elected in a write-in; even in student unions they have a request to be able to re-open nominations. 

“That option is not available on this ballot paper. 

“On this ballot paper, for reasons that I won’t get into right this second, we have what I - and I think many others - consider to be a curated set of candidates who are all of a particular political perspective. 

“We don’t have somebody to vote for and, in that scenario, it would be a waste to sit out home and not to vote - or to vote for somebody who you do not feel represents you and gives you voice.” 

The 2018 Presidential Inauguration. Picture by: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie.

Seven years ago, 1,492,338 people turned out to vote in the Presidential Election, which saw Michael D Higgins re-elected to a second term by a landslide. 

Among those 1,492,338 votes were 18,438 ballot papers which were spoiled - whether by accident or design. 

Mr Ganley urged people to consider doing this on 24th October. 

“What I am suggesting is go in, cast your ballot - democracy was hard won in this country,” he said. 

“We should exercise our right to cast a ballot, spoil the vote - write whatever you want on the ballot. 

“If you’re a Maria Steen supporter, write ‘Maria Steen’, if you’re a Nick Delahanty supporter, write ‘Nick Delehanty’, if it’s cost of living, if it’s uncontrolled immigration - whatever it is, you can write it on the ballot. 

“Make sure you do not express a preference for one of the listed candidates because otherwise that will be registered as a vote for them.” 

Results from the 2018 Presidential Election. Picture by: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie/

Mr Ganley believes this would send a strong message of dissatisfaction to the Government. 

“That will be a voice of protest and much better than going to a march or doing an online protest where you can’t count the heads and the numbers are disputed,” he said. 

“Every single one of those ballots have to be counted… Go in, cast a spoilt ballot if you are not happy with what you’re being presented with on the ballot paper.” 

All Irish citizens who are over the age of 18, registered to vote and ordinarily resident in the Republic can cast a ballot in the election.

Main image: Maria Steen speaking to reporters outside Leinster House. Picture by: PA Images.