A new initiative to promote the importance of voting and combat misinformation and disinformation about democracy, politics and political representatives was launched. www.votingmatters.ie is an initiative of award-winning agency Alice Public Relations, spearheaded by its Chairperson, Dermot Ryan.

Commenting at the launch, Mr. Ryan said: “Most people want to live in an Ireland where everyone’s voice is heard, and decision-makers deliver on commitments fairly and transparently. But increasingly disinformation, misinformation and other factors are resulting in a disconnect between how people view their vote, and the decisions made that impact their lives.”

In its early stages, the Voting Matters Ireland initiative will focus on simple voter information about how our voting and electoral system works. The first of a series of animations, explaining who is entitled to vote, was launched today and, in the coming weeks, it will be followed by animations explaining how to fill in a ballot paper, how tallies work and how a quota is calculated.

Mr. Ryan – who has extensive experience of political campaigning himself – hopes to expand the initiative in the coming months and years to promote education about our democratic system and provide a space for debate on how it can be improved.

“I believe in the importance of politics, the valuable role of political parties, and the service given by those who are willing to run for election,” he said. “But that’s not to say we have a perfect system. The world is changing in dramatic ways all the time, and our democratic system needs to keep up with the pace of change to remain relevant and to keep the support of the wider community.”

Martina Quinn, CEO of Alice Public Relations, said that the initiative has the support of the company because of its obvious potential benefit to public discourse.

“We work with a range of organisations, particularly in the not-for-profit and public sectors, who engage with politicians daily,” she said. “We have seen first-hand how politicians of all political persuasions are, for the most part, driven by a desire to serve their community. We have also witnessed important decisions being made which have resulted in groundbreaking outcomes in terms of healthcare, education and other spheres due to the determination of politicians, often behind the scenes.

“We are delighted to launch and support Voting Matters Ireland because it chimes perfectly with our belief in the importance of safeguarding and promoting democracy.”