Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1968
![]() | It has been suggested that this article be merged with Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1968 to 1968 Irish constitutional referendums. (Discuss) Proposed since February 2024. |
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To alter the Dáil electoral system from single transferable vote to first-past-the-post | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1968 was a bill (no. 6 of 1968) to amend the Constitution of Ireland to alter the electoral system for elections to Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, from proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) to first-past-the-post (FPTP). It was one of two referendums on the elections held on 16 October 1968, the other being a proposal to allow a greater variance in representation. Both bills were rejected.
Background
[edit]Elections to Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives in the Oireachtas, are governed by Article 16 of the Constitution.[1]
In 1959, the Fianna Fáil government of Éamon de Valera put the Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill to a referendum, which proposed to replace the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) with first-past-the-post (FPTP). The referendum was defeated by 51.8% to 48.8%, on the same day on which de Valera had won the presidential election.
In 1968, the Fianna Fáil government of Jack Lynch proposed two constitutional amendments on the electoral system for election to Dáil Éireann: the Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill, which would have allowed for greater divergence in the ratio of population to constituencies, and the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, a second proposal to introduce FPTP voting in single-member constituencies.
Oireachtas debate
[edit]The bill to amend the constitution was proposed in the Dáil by Taoiseach Jack Lynch on 21 February 1968.[2] It was opposed by Fine Gael and the Labour Party. On 3 July, it passed final stages in the Dáil by 66 to 56.[3] On 30 July 1968, it passed final stages in the Seanad by 25 to 18.[4][5]
Voter information
[edit]The subject matter of the referendum was described in the voter information as:[6]
The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1968, proposes –
- To substitute for the present system of voting at Dáil elections the "straight vote" system in single-member constituencies;
- To establish a Commission to determine constituencies, subject to the right of the Dáil to amend the constituencies as so determined; and
- To provide that whenever the Dáil is dissolved the outgoing Ceann Comhairle may be returned, without a contest, as a second deputy for a constituency chosen by him which consists of, or includes a part of, the constituency he represented before the dissolution.
Result
[edit]The Fourth Amendment bill was rejected by 60.8% against to 39.2% in favour; the Third Amendment, on the population ratio in constituencies, was rejected by a similar margin.
Choice | Votes | % |
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![]() |
657,898 | 60.84 |
Yes | 423,496 | 39.16 |
Valid votes | 1,081,394 | 95.73 |
Invalid or blank votes | 48,212 | 4.27 |
Total votes | 1,129,606 | 100.00 |
Registered voters/turnout | 1,717,389 | 65.77 |
Constituency | Electorate | Turnout (%) | Votes | Proportion of votes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | Yes | No | |||
Carlow–Kilkenny | 58,039 | 71.4% | 15,253 | 23,174 | 39.7% | 60.3% |
Cavan | 33,996 | 70.7% | 9,710 | 13,318 | 42.2% | 57.8% |
Clare | 48,008 | 62.6% | 14,193 | 14,131 | 50.1% | 49.9% |
Cork Borough | 59,607 | 66.3% | 14,784 | 23,448 | 38.7% | 61.3% |
Cork Mid | 51,423 | 72.2% | 14,337 | 21,440 | 40.1% | 59.9% |
Cork North-East | 59,515 | 70.9% | 16,784 | 23,659 | 41.5% | 58.5% |
Cork South-West | 34,625 | 69.9% | 8,691 | 14,281 | 37.8% | 62.2% |
Donegal North-East | 34,698 | 66.7% | 11,414 | 10,701 | 51.6% | 48.4% |
Donegal South-West | 35,596 | 62.2% | 10,692 | 10,397 | 50.7% | 49.3% |
Dublin County | 77,837 | 63.3% | 15,820 | 31,999 | 33.1% | 66.9% |
Dublin North-Central | 37,771 | 57.9% | 5,877 | 15,187 | 27.9% | 72.1% |
Dublin North-East | 80,453 | 65.9% | 16,147 | 36,010 | 31.0% | 69.0% |
Dublin North-West | 41,984 | 61.1% | 7,467 | 17,633 | 29.7% | 70.3% |
Dublin South-Central | 52,371 | 57.6% | 8,449 | 20,790 | 28.9% | 71.1% |
Dublin South-East | 41,190 | 63.9% | 7,726 | 18,044 | 30.0% | 70.0% |
Dublin South-West | 57,590 | 59.6% | 9,667 | 23,780 | 28.9% | 71.1% |
Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown | 62,723 | 63.4% | 11,875 | 27,135 | 30.4% | 69.6% |
Galway East | 53,105 | 62.6% | 14,713 | 16,708 | 46.8% | 53.2% |
Galway West | 33,722 | 52.7% | 8,606 | 8,574 | 50.1% | 49.9% |
Kerry North | 34,785 | 64.1% | 9,246 | 11,887 | 43.8% | 56.2% |
Kerry South | 35,323 | 66.1% | 10,698 | 11,605 | 48.0% | 52.0% |
Kildare | 46,099 | 66.9% | 11,560 | 17,883 | 39.3% | 60.7% |
Laois–Offaly | 55,879 | 66.9% | 14,128 | 21,433 | 39.7% | 60.3% |
Limerick East | 46,883 | 67.3% | 11,190 | 18,793 | 37.3% | 62.7% |
Limerick West | 33,546 | 72.4% | 11,272 | 11,908 | 48.6% | 51.4% |
Longford–Westmeath | 43,795 | 67.8% | 10,674 | 17,414 | 38.0% | 62.0% |
Louth | 37,781 | 66.9% | 9,785 | 14,453 | 40.4% | 59.6% |
Mayo North | 30,802 | 53.8% | 7,167 | 8,556 | 45.6% | 54.4% |
Mayo South | 41,324 | 62.2% | 10,513 | 14,025 | 42.8% | 57.2% |
Meath | 36,192 | 68.5% | 9,500 | 14,084 | 40.3% | 59.7% |
Monaghan | 32,580 | 69.8% | 8,645 | 12,925 | 40.1% | 59.9% |
Roscommon | 42,971 | 69.2% | 11,635 | 16,299 | 41.7% | 58.3% |
Sligo–Leitrim | 42,362 | 65.8% | 11,034 | 15,097 | 42.2% | 57.8% |
Tipperary North | 34,076 | 71.0% | 9,600 | 13,217 | 42.1% | 57.9% |
Tipperary South | 46,045 | 74.0% | 14,749 | 17,712 | 45.4% | 54.6% |
Waterford | 37,519 | 69.8% | 10,353 | 14,555 | 41.6% | 58.4% |
Wexford | 48,050 | 69.6% | 11,411 | 20,588 | 35.7% | 64.3% |
Wicklow | 37,124 | 65.3% | 8,131 | 15,055 | 35.1% | 64.9% |
Total | 1,717,389 | 65.8% | 423,496 | 657,898 | 39.2% | 60.8% |
References
[edit]Sources
[edit]- "Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1968 (Bill 6 of 1968)". Oireachtas. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- Includes text of bill and Oireachtas debates
Citations
[edit]- ^ "Constitution of Ireland, Article 16". Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ "Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1968: First Stage". 21 February 1968. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ "Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1968: Fifth Stage (Resumed)". 3 July 1968. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ "Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1968: Final Stage". 30 July 1968. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ "Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1968: Passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas" (PDF). Oireachtas. 30 July 1968. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ Referendum (Amendment) Act 1968, s. 1: Constitutional referenda in relation to Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1968, and Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1968 (Appendix) (No. 34 of 1968, s. 1). Enacted on 6 August 1968. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
- ^ a b "Referendum Results" (PDF). Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ "Referendum on the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1968 – Voting System". Referendum Returning Officer. Archived from the original on 2 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- 1968 in Irish law
- 1968 in Irish politics
- 1968 referendums
- Failed amendments of the Constitution of Ireland
- Constitutional referendums in the Republic of Ireland
- Single transferable vote
- October 1968 events in Europe
- Electoral reform in the Republic of Ireland
- 1960s elections in Ireland
- Electoral reform referendums