Polls have opened across campus today for the elections of next year’s Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) sabbatical officers.
Polling stations opened in the Arts Building and the Hamilton at 10am and will remain open until 5pm, while at Tallaght and St James’ voting will occur between 12pm and 2pm.
Candidates have been vying for student votes since the beginning of the campaign period last Monday. The 10 students running in the election have fielded questions in four hustings – Dining Hall, Equality, Media and Halls – on a range of topics relating to their contested role.
Three candidates are contesting the role of President. Front runner Eoin Hand looks set to win comfortably according to Trinity News’ poll, with Ryan Carey coming in second and Harry Williams third.
Education, Welfare and Ents are uncontested, while the Trinity News poll showed a slight 1% lead for Communications and Marketing candidate Philly Holmes against Hiram Harrington and a victory for Susie Crawford for the University Times Editor.
Candidates can continue to campaign within the approved times. According to Electoral Commission (EC) regulations, campaigning cannot occur near a polling area or within line of sight of a person voting.
With the exception of a withdrawal of promises from Harry Williams relating to societies due to the Central Societies Committee (CSC) taking “offence”, the campaign period went ahead without controversy.
The polls will be open at the same times tomorrow, while on Friday voting can take place between 10am and 4pm in the Arts Building and the Hamilton, after which the counting of votes and announcement of next year’s sabbatical officers takes place that evening.
