Break with election tradition in Laois as Portlaoise school to be used for Euro votes
New venue found in Portlaoise
Tradition is set to be broken at the European elections in Laois with choice of a new venue to count votes cast in the county for candidates hoping to represent local voters in the European Parliament.
St Mary's Hall has been the go-to place to count votes cast in general elections, European polls and referenda. Its use for local election vote counting has ceased in recent decades.
A local election count in Portlaoise.
The St Mary's CBS / Scoil Chríost Rí complex on the Borris Road in the town will be used for the European vote count and separation of ballot papers.
Donal Brennan is the Returning Officer in the Laois County Council elections. He also confirmed that all ballot papers in both the local and European elections will brought to the Borris Road venue after polls close on June 7.
Count staff at the school hall will sort and separate these ballots on June 8. Mr Brenan said the local election votes will then be brought to the Kea Lew Business Park in Portlaoise where local authority staff will count the votes to select 19 councillors across three Laois Municipal Districts.
The local election venue is a premises that is owned by the local authority which was formerly owned by the Ging family. It is to be converted into a depot for Laois Civil Defence.
Recent local elections counts have taken place in Portlaoise at vacant warehouses or large commercial units.