ISD’s Senior Analyst Ciarán O’Connor wrote an opinion piece for The Journal analysing the accusations of vote rigging in the local and European elections that took place in Ireland this weekend. In many ways mirroring the ‘Stop the Steal’ campaign of the 2020 US Presidential elections, Ciarán details the targeting of the integrity of the electoral process “before any votes were even cast.” 

Ciarán highlights the three key allegations of interference, namely “foreign interference, NGO influence and media bias.” Regarding non-citizens in Ireland, certain candidates and activists have likened their vote in the Irish elections to “corruption and foreign interference,” alleging that “asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees had been deliberately registering and instructed to vote for specific candidates of parties.” 

The second key target surrounds NGOs encouraging migrant participation as candidates, claiming that providing campaign training to ethnic minorities acts as a disruption to democracy. “This perspective vilifies civic organisations promoting diversity and representation, stoking xenophobic sentiments and polarising the electorate.”

The final axis of criticism is the alleged bias of media organisations. Ciarán gives the example of the co-signing of a letter to RTÉ  by four small parties describing their exclusion from debates as an example of “media interference,” feeding into the wider criticism that outlets are complicit in “shaping election outcomes to favour established parties.” Whilst these claims remain “exaggerated” in the context of Irish elections, Ciarán nonetheless highlights how they emphasise the need for “media plurality and the importance of providing a platform for diverse political perspectives.” 

“In Ireland, as elsewhere, the ultimate loser in this scenario is democracy itself. To safeguard against this, our institutions, political leaders and wider society must be prepared to counter these narratives with transparency, truth and a commitment to democratic principles.”