First Count result in Mayo has been sent to Dublin Castle

The first count in Mayo is expected to conclude at around 5pm in the TF Royal in Castlebar. 

The fourteen doubtful votes took less than five minutes to adjudicated. Joe McHale represented the Catherine Connolly campaign during the adjudication process and there was no Fine Gael campaign representative present. 

The Presidential Returning Officer in Dublin Castle will announce and publish the Mayo results. 

After receiving the first count results from across the county, the Presidential Returning Officer will then calculate the quota for a presidential candidate to be deemed elected. 

If the number of votes for a candidate exceeds the quota on the first count, the Presidential Returning Officer will declare elected. 

The tallies and the fact that a large number of count staff in the TF Royal have gone home suggest that a second count is very unlikely. 

'Despicable and disgraceful'

If the tally figures are correct, the scale of the spoilt votes will see a more than ten fold increase in the number of Mayo voters who decided to spoil their vote in this election, compared with the General Election. 

 Tommie English, Vice Chairman of Mayo constituency for Fine Gael and Cllr Ger Deere (FG)

Fine Gael Cllr Ger Deere told The Mayo News that the spoil the vote campaign was “despicable and disgraceful.”

The Castlebar-based politician said it’s not part of democracy and he didn’t know what it serves.

Speaking about the campaign, he said  that despite putting up a good campaign, the Fine Gael candidate, Heather Humphreys was up against an anti government mood at the moment.

Fellow Fine Gael Cllr Gerry Coyle described the amount of spoiled votes as 'disappointing'.

"If people were told yesterday that they couldn't come in to vote, there'd be a riot outside here today. People died in this country for the right to vote."