Tuam has second highest turnout in county

By Siobhán Holliman

 

BALLOT boxes for Galway City and county are being opened and sorted at Leisureland this morning as the king-size count in the referendum, and Local and European elections gets underway.

The number of people who voted varied across the city and county. Turnout was particularly strong in the Tuam electoral area at 57%, which was the second highest in the county.

In Ballinasloe turnout was 51% while in Athenry it was 41% and it was 46% in Oranmore.

Political party and candidates’ representatives are eagerly watching as the bundles of papers are opened out and sorted, ahead of initial tally figures coming in.

Turnout at polling stations in Galway City was on average lower than that in county areas.

Counting staff are currently working their way through opening boxes in the city and in the county, the first areas to be opened are Connemara North, Gort-Kinvara and Connemara South.

These will be followed by Athenry-Oranmore, Ballinasloe, Loughrea and finally Tuam. It’s speculated that some candidates contesting in the Tuam area may have to wait until Monday for the last of the seven seats to be filled.

There are six seats to be filled in Ballinasloe and seven in the Athenry-Oranmore area. It remains to be what affect the changes in boundaries will have had.