Two of the candidates in the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) national elections have now individually secured more than 13,000 votes according to latest results.
The current south-Leinster regional chair of the IFA who is in the running to become the next president of the organisation – Francie Gorman – has hit 13,668 votes while Alice Doyle who is bidding to become the next deputy president of the IFA is now comfortably over the 13,000 mark.
Currently Gorman has nearly 55% of the total votes counted compared to Martin Stapleton, the current IFA National Treasurer.
Meanwhile Doyle has also secured 55% of the total votes counted todate.
According to sources at the national count taking place in a Co. Dublin hotel today (Tuesday, December 12) Gorman’s campaign are quietly confident that early trends could point to a strong result for the Co. Laois farmer.
However Stapleton’s campaign team remain hopeful that they may regain some of what has been described to Agriland as “disappointing results”.
According to Gorman’s campaign team strong results from Co. Galway, Co. Roscommon and Co. Monaghan and Co. Wexford have proved to be a decisive trend.
But Stapleton’s team have also pointed to the fact that he secured significant votes in Co. Cork and Co.Kerry where he more than beat Gorman’s total number of votes.
IFA results
According to the IFA the counting process has run smoothly throughout the day and despite earlier concerns about the new postal option open to members to cast their vote, there could be a result called on both the president and deputy president position by 6 or 6.30p.m. this evening.
There were almost 30,000 ballot envelopes returned to the farming organisation for its 2023 elections – an increase of almost 8,000 on the last election according to the national returning officer for the IFA Election 2023, Brian Rushe.