1,260 students have voted so far in the Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) sabbatical officer elections, according to Education Officer Niamh McCay.
In an email statement to Trinity News, McCay commented: “We are elated at this high turnout and hope it continues throughout the week.”
Polls opened in Trinity Hall at 8pm yesterday, after the Halls hustings. On campus students began voting at 10am today, with polls closing at 5pm, while off-campus students in Tallaght and St James’ could vote between 12pm-2pm today.
Students in TBSI and D’Olier Street will have the opportunity to vote 12pm-2pm tomorrow. Polls will close at 4pm on Thursday and next year’s sabbatical officers will be announced that evening.
Voting is down slightly from last year’s elections when over 1,300 students had voted by Tuesday evening. The year before’s figures were higher still, with almost 1,700 students voting after the first full day of polling.
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 1% lead for Communications and Marketing candidate Philly Holmes against Hiram Harrington and a victory for Susie Crawford for the University Times Editor.
