Editorial: 91 Donegal candidates and 27 European candidates want your vote

This week we are now much clearer of where we stand in terms of the local elections in Donegal on Friday, June 7.

91 candidates have declared their intention to contest the 37 seats on the Council, representing the seven local electoral areas (LEA), who will serve on both the five local municipal districts, as well as the full council. 27 candidates have already decalred their intentions to conest the five-seater 

The number of candidates in each LEA will be Buncrana LEA 12 candidates; Carndonagh LEA 9 candidates; Donegal LEA 15 candidates; Glenties LEA 16 candidates; Letterkenny LEA 18 candidates, Lifford Stranorlar 12 candidates and Milford LEA 9 candidates. 

Of the larger political parties, Sinn Fein are fielding its biggest ever field of 18 candidates, Fianna Fail have 15 candidates and Fine Gael nine candidates.    

Just three females sat on the outgoing council, Cllr Noreen McGarvey (RIP December 2023), Cllr Rena Donaghey, who is stepping down from politics after more than three decades and Cllr Niamh Kennedy, who is seeking reelection.

And while the Donegal electorate will get the opportunity to vote for candidates within their respective areas, it will be a mammoth ballot paper that will face them when they decide to vote in the European Parliament elections, that same day.

In this case 27 candidates will be on the ballot paper seeking one of the five seats from the Midlands north west constituency.

It is a vast constituency spanning 15 counties and three provinces, covering some 1.8million of the country's total 5.15m population according to the last census of population.

If you are sure of who you are going to vote for or follow a political party, it should prove less of an issue, but to say that it will be confusing to many, is very possibly an understatement.

The addition of an extra seat within the constituency in an expanded geographical area including Offaly and Laois makes an already vast constituency, makes the European elections even more of a disconnect to the voter, if the truth be said.

If you are not on the electoral register or have not registered by now, it is already too late as the deadline was Monday last, May 20.