Jack Hartnett | Contributing Writer
A second major voter registration drive, due to begin next week, will form part of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union’s (TCDSU) plans to support the forthcoming marriage equality referendum.
During Rainbow Week, which runs next week, information stands will be set up across campus as part of a major voter registration drive. Domhnall McGlacken-Byrne, TCDSU President, also announced a major social media launch on the eve of Rainbow Week in order to maximise the campaign’s exposure.
The union’s strategy is to register as many students as possible, recognising that most TCD students will vote in favour of the referendum. A survey conducted during Freshers’ Week concluded that approximately 65 per cent of the student body were registered to vote and the union hopes to register almost everybody in the university in time for the referendum. However, after registering over 3,000 students in November, they’ll face a much more difficult challenge this time round as a result of changes in the voter registration process which now requires a Garda to be present and stamp the registration form.
The date of the referendum also poses logistical challenges for the union. By May 22nd, most Trinity Hall residents will have moved out and most students across the university will be finished exams. Consequently, the union’s officers are trying to ensure that students register in the voting constituency where they will be on that date. Initiatives such as a university-wide event on the night of the referendum are being considered in an effort to keep students in Dublin to vote. The union also plans to provide free buses from Rathmines and campus to polling stations.
Speaking on the issue, TCDSU’s LGBT Rights Officer, Damien McClean, hopes that the union’s efforts will reach further afield than the immediate student body: “Our next step will be to encourage students to not only vote yes, but to encourage their families to vote yes as well.” One way the union plans to achieve this goal is by a short video soon to be released. McClean worries that, without better communication between students and their families, doubts and a lack of understanding about what marriage equality would entail may cause people to vote no. This approach could prove crucial to the outcome because current polling suggests that reservations among yes voters means that the referendum could still be lost.
See also: Incompetence in Choosing a Date for the Referendum
Photo by Sinéad Baker for The University Times
