The official turnout figure
The Chief Electoral Officer Douglas Bain has just confirmed the overall turnout figure for the European election. It's 42.81 % the lowest in recent times.
Is the apathy a reflection of antipathy towards politics in the wake of the Westminster expenses scandal and a sense that all politicians are on the "gravy train"? Or maybe we should look on the bright side - in the past Northern Ireland's exceptionally high turnouts were a by product of the troubled times and a determination from voters to keep the other side out. So maybe a level of relative disinterest is a sign of a more normal society?
Lats time I blogged I still remained to be convinced that the SDLP could squeeze in. Now I'm not so sure. If the scenario which Diane Dodds described as a "disaster for unionism" played out what would be the implications for the Robinson leadership. Could the DUP, looking over its shoulder at Jim Allister, mount a go slow on policy at Stormont?
Although the general turnout might have been down, one voter who did make an extra effort was the Ulster Unionist MLA Billy Armstrong. He'd ruptured his vertebrae in an accident at home on Friday and was in Antrim Hospital. He had to be fitted with a brace at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, but from his prone position in the back of the car he insisted on a diversion on his way back to Antrim hospital. You guessed it all braced up for voting, he wanted to stop off at his polling station in Stewartstown.
The last six constituency turnouts were
East L derry 42.34%
Foyle 44.35%
Ferm Sth Tyrone 51.52%
West Tyrone 50.27%
U Bann 41.81%
Newry Armagh 49.05%
Overall Total 42.81%
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