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ISCA-AIDC Completes Ireland Referendum Observation Mission Report
July 21, 2015

Since 2004, ISCA-AIDC has been committed to supporting community development throughout the world. At the core of project development is a focus on democratic processes and good governance. While the organization has focused on democratic and governance issues at a community level, it has also supported electoral process training in Canada sponsoring the first ever open BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance, and Elections) training session in North America. n 2014, ISCA-AIDC established its first observation mission to the Scottish Independence Referendum. The team consisted of 16 observers from Canada, the United States, Dominican Republic, and Ireland.

ISCA-AIDC was pleased to have a small team of accredited observers present for Ireland’s referendum in May of 2015 (the only international observation group accredited to observe the referendum). A strong democratic commitment was demonstrated in the Marriage Referendum and Age of Presidential Candidates by both campaigners and voters. The electoral process progressed with vigorous public debate, remarkable levels of voter participation, engagement of young voters, and general acceptance of the results.

More than 3.2 million people had registered to vote with a voter turnout of 60.52% for the Marriage Referendum and 60.51% for the Age of Presidential Candidate Referendum. It demonstrates that voters were effectively engaged and empowered to exercise their right to vote.

While ISCA-AIDC observers concluded that there exists an opportunity to address certain procedural compliance issues, the referendum represented the will of the Irish people and yielded credible results. Ireland’s referendum demonstrated a truly democratic event. It has spawned a pluralistic civic driven politics that the world has been compelled to watch and learn from. ISCA-AIDC is pleased to have been part of this historic event.

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