Abortion Referendum- Republic Of Ireland

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Today is the day of the referendum on the Republic of Ireland's abortion laws.

The vote will decide whether to repeal a part of the constitution, known as the Eighth Amendment, which effectively bans non-essential terminations in the country.

Polls opened at 07:00 local time and votes can be cast until 22:00 tonight (Friday).

I wonder how the Irish will vote?

[anneasquith]

Bednobs, I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter. I remember your heartache with the other babies.

[Ellipsis]

I agree with the letter of the law in the UK.

I hope that Ireland does approve abortion laws like ours, but that they make a better job of it in practice than we did.

[jim360]

Gness: "I think no man should...".

Men are affected by abortions too, so they should be allowed to vote. But, I would hope, men would appreciate that it's still above all a woman's right to choose, if necessary.

I hope the Irish vote to repeal.

[ducksie]

I'm in the R of I and I was at the polling stations this morning, just I know from news reports the 'world is watching' but our national broadcaster is reporting voting as brisk, we're not known really to be brisk, people are coming home from afar to cast their votes and even at 7a.m the polling station was busy where I was, there were queues at other stations. It's been a very vicious referendum in that sisters, friends were almost coming to blows over each others choice, whatever the result, I'm just gonna be glad when the tally comes in tomorrow and we get the result, I'm up to my eye teeth in it now, it's the 36th time we've been dragged to the polling stations since the founding of the state to amend the constitution, every decade of my life I think I have strutted down, cast my vote and come home and wonder why bother - but I do :)

[gness]

Of course men are affected by abortion, Jim....If a couple chooses together for whatever reason to abort then both will suffer emotionally.

That is not reason enough for men to be allowed to vote on this ....at least until they are able to bear a child.
Every man who votes No is in the position of hurting a woman in a way that he can never be hurt...
Yes, I know there will be female NO voters....but I can't see a way to only let the YES voters vote.....would that I could...x

[pixie374]

Letting men vote reminds me of the saying "It's very easy to have the principles when you don't have to make the sacrifices". But I see no reason for women to be allowed to overrule each other about their own bodies either. It is totally individual and I hope the referendum results reflect that .

[jim360]

I've no intention of getting into an argument with someone who agrees with me at the end, but still: I'd be happy to exclude men from voting only if there weren't a vote at all.

Mind you, that's kind of where Ireland should have been in the first place. There is no way that this should have been in the constitution, and I hope that, from tomorrow, it won't be.

[gness]

Indeed it shouldn't, Jim......and that's mainly down to the Catholic church.....as was the death of Sheila Hodgers who, because she was pregnant, was denied cancer treatment and pain killers under a code of ethics drawn up for the hospital by the Catholic Church.......Sheila and her baby both died....as have many other women and girls...

Maybe those who have voted or would vote NO because of their belief in the sanctity of life should look a little further.

[murraymints]

agree with Gness..Catholic too... extra few Hail Marys... but I stand by my earlier post

[tamborine]

Kval, 'bunch of cells' says nothing of foetus state. Amniotic tests can cause miscarriage. I would only support abortions before 12weeks on mothers health & welfare.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/amniocentesis/

[Old_Geezer]

Interesting how some want only those with a vested interest to vote and those who can be more objective banned from doing so.

[Prudie]

It's easy to be objective when you're not the one who has to see it through either way. I have also been one to say that I don't think it's a subject men should vote on.

[237SJ]

If it wasn't for men, abortions wouldn't be needed (let's face it). I don't think men should be able to vote. Quite a few of my friends have had abortions and to be honest, in all cases it was because having a baby would have been inconvenient at that time. I know that people say that the mother's and baby's life can be at risk but I think that in most cases, women have abortions due to the reasons I have mentioned.

[woofgang]

I don’t think that anybody can be objective about this, especially not in a country where politics is so bound up with the Roman Catholic faith. I do think that there are two issues here. While yes its acceptable for individual men who have had a part in creating the child to have some say in what happens to it, I don’t think its right for men in general to have a say in what women in general can or can’t do with their own bodies.....mind you I don’t think that women in general should be able to do that either.

[Ellipsis]

I challenge anyone who champions women's suffrage to put into writing why men should not be allowed to vote on this issue. And also whether they think, for example, infertile women should be allowed to vote on this issue ...

[gness]

OG....Were I of child bearing years and was presented with an unplanned pregnancy through failed contraception, rape, or sheer carelessness there is no way on earth that anyone else would have a say in what I did about it...or be entitled to have a say.
And as I said...when men can bear children they can be included in a referendum about abortion.....and not until then.

[jno]

early exit polls suggesting a good Yes vote

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/25/ireland-abortion-referendum-polling-day-await-result

[ducksie]

On tv now, almost 70% yes 30% no and ballot boxes not opened until 9am tomorrow, just watching on RTÉ late late show

[jno]

sounds like a landslide, but we'll see. I never know how scientific these exit polls are.

[ducksie]

RTE and Irish Times carried out opinion polls outside over so many polling stations across the country today and both stats came back similar, a breakdown was read out but I was on phone to friend and missed it, too big a gap to be anything but yes tomorrow