Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Ents candidate Ross Donnelly has received a minor strike from the Electoral Commission (EC) for posting on social media outside approved campaign hours.
Donnelly chose to take his lunch break from in-person campaigning from 12:30 to 1:30pm, instead of the usual 1pm to 2pm. He proceeded to post on Instagram between 1pm and 2pm, unaware that all online campaigning must pause between these times.
In an email statement to The University Times, Chair of TCDSU council Adam Balchin said that as a result of the strike Donnelly will be unable to campaign between 6 and 7pm this evening.
While the EC acknowledged that the breach had occurred due to a “misunderstanding”, it gave Donnelly a minor strike.
Speaking to this newspaper, Donnelly said: “As I had changed my [lunch] time, I thought that was okay … it was just a misunderstanding and I’m going to lose out on the hour, but we’ll definitely make it up in the coming days.”
Donnelly is the second ents candidate to receive a strike. Nadia A received a major strike for campaigning in Goldsmith Hall on Monday February 21st, outside of the allotted campaign hours for that area. Campaigning in person between 6pm and 9pm is only permitted in Trinity Hall.
She was banned from campaigning for four hours last Wednesday, from noon to 1pm, 2pm to 4pm and and 6pm to 7pm.
Speaking to The University Times, A said that her team “weren’t aware” of the rules around evening campaigning only being permitted in Trinity Hall.
Presidential candidate Gabi Fullam also received a strike last week, after her social media posts were shared by another user outside campaigning hours.
Campaigning in person recommenced today after a two-day suspension last week following the death of a student on campus.
The EC made the decision to suspend in-person canvassing as a mark of respect to the deceased student, Mark Melynchuk, as well as in the interest of candidate welfare.
