Turnout in the IFA election is mixed, but likely to be down on the 2013 election. In total, 75,501 members are eligible to vote across the association’s 947 branches.

In 2013, there were a total of 31,726 votes cast across the association, from an eligible membership of over 80,000. Turnout this time will be below the 30,000 mark. Spring is the busiest time on farms, and workload is competing with branch AGMs.

In addition, presiding officers at branch meetings are reporting that the move to one member, one vote has reduced the drive among branch officers to reach voter number thresholds.

Only a quarter of members are said to have voted so far in branches in Meath, Westmeath, Dublin, Donegal, Sligo and Wicklow, it has been reported.

Some branches in Roscommon, Longford, Monaghan, Kildare and Waterford are reporting turnouts as low as a third of members, while branches in Kilkenny, Offaly, Tipperary, Wexford and Carlow south saw less than half.

The turnout in Cork north and Cork central branches saw 50% of members voting, as did Tipperary north. Some Limerick, Louth and Mayo branches reported around 60%.

There was a higher turnout in the home counties of presidential candidates. Flor McCarthy’s native Kerry has seen 60% turnouts, with a higher 75%-98% of members turning out in Galway branches for Joe Healy. The first branch in Laois, Ballinakill, voted on Tuesday night, with 70 out of 73 members voting – a strong turnout to boost Henry Burns’s hopes.

Roscommon rescheduling

The Roscommon branches of Boyle and Strokestown, who cancelled their scheduled election meetings in protest at the Connacht regional chair election logjam, will now vote next week.

Both branches have rescheduled their meetings and will vote next Tuesday evening, Roscommon chair John Hanley confirmed.

It’s understood that the Connacht regional chair position will be filled after the presidential election.

Voting is now likely to take place in May or more probably June.

It’s also likely that rule 75(b) will soon be removed. The controversial rule regarding the eligibility of part-time farmers to contest senior positions within the IFA will be reviewed at the farming body’s annual general meeting later this month, with little support for its retention.

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