Cormac Shine | Editor-at-Large
One thing is certain about the expected referendum on equal marriage next spring: it will be won or lost by our generation. It’s a simple fact that those under 25 overwhelmingly support the introduction of equal marriage for gay and straight couples, but it’s also true that those under 25 are the least likely to vote. The Students’ Union has a very important and specific role to play in the wider campaign for equal marriage over the next few months: making sure Trinity students are registered to vote, and getting them to the polls.
SU representatives conducted a straw poll throughout Freshers’ Week to gauge how many students are already registered to vote, and contrary to the very low figures one might expect, the results are actually somewhat heartening. Of all 800 students polled over a five day period, almost 65% are already registered to vote.
The results are somewhat heartening – almost 65% are already registered to vote.
Of these, first years are the least likely to be registered, with only 51% registered to vote (keep in mind that this poll was conducted during Freshers’ Week when there are no classes – there may be a skew towards those more inclined to engage in community activity, and thus the figures may be slightly overstated). Figures were pretty constant across all disciplines, with the percentage of those registered to vote in AHSS, EMS, and health sciences ranging from 62% to 67%.
What can be done to improve these figures, and to make sure they actually get to the polling booths? SU representatives have been visiting Halls in order to register freshers and guide them through this unnecessarily complex process, and this needs to continue until every student knows the basics of the process and has been given the opportunity to do so with minimal stress. In a community that has near-universal support for equal marriage, it’s imperative to get as many people on the register as possible, and the current figures simply aren’t good enough.
There is an inherent challenge for a referendum seeking to change the status quo, and the challenge of facing a small but no doubt vocal opposition may bring the numbers down.
A poll conducted in February by RTE’s Prime Time and the Sunday Business Post points to 76% support for equal marriage, but it’s clear that there is an inherent challenge for a referendum seeking to change the status quo, and the challenge of facing a small but no doubt vocal opposition may bring these numbers down. The outlook is good now, but complacency is not something we can afford in a generation-defining poll that may not come around again soon. Remember, this is the country that legalized divorce in 1995 by 0.56% of the vote.
Ireland has changed a lot in the last twenty years. For a country that only officially legalized homosexuality in 1993 thanks to the tireless campaigning of Senator David Norris and others, it’s clear LGBT* rights have improved a lot. But there’s still a long way to go, and on the other side of the coin it’s not too hard to see that many older generations might not vote Yes when it comes down to it.
In order to make its contribution and live up to its mandated support for equal marriage and general support for LGBT* issues, the SU needs a focused and targeted plan to get people registered, walk them through the process and to get them to the polls when the date is announced.
(http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0220/505702-same-sex-marriage/)
Photo by Samuel Riggs for TCDSU
