Funny we don’t hear so much talk about ‘personation’ today. That was the term they used to use to explain away the increase in Sinn Féin votes – they were voting early and voting often.
The wisest (and most Machiavellian) words I heard on the subject were from Bernadette McAliskey, fado fado. She explained how the man later referred to by my mother as ‘that oul’ turncoat’ Gerry Fitt used explain how to do it. You searched for an elderly Catholic couple who were sure to vote, but not until later in the day. The trick was to get a couple of body doubles to go in and cast their votes early in the day, for the nationalist candidate. Then later in the day when the elderly couple arrived to vote, they’d be told someone else had used their votes already. So who would be most likely to do that? Why, the Protestant/unionist opposition. Those low-down, cunning so-and-sos.
So nationalism got its two votes and the bonus of an outraged elderly nationalist couple pointing the finger at the unscrupulous unionists.
So if you were thinking of doing a bit of personation today, it’s probably too late to do it the Gerry (that-oul-turncoat) Fitt way.
Ah, the good old days.
PS It does seem oddly appropriate that the day on which republicans are set to dominate the polls should be the date of Bobby Sands’s death. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
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