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8th June 2024
05:04pm BST
Vote counters at an election polling station in Mayo on Saturday (8 June) were reportedly warned to be careful following fears that a mouse may have gotten into a ballot box.
After people across the country went to the polls to vote in the local and European elections on Friday, the process of counting those votes commenced on Saturday morning.
And, according to Midwest Radio, at the count in Castlebar, the Country Registrar had to advise 270 staff to be careful of a numbered box of votes.
This was due to fears "a mouse entered in the polling booth last night".
Speaking about this in more depth was Newstalk presenter Seán Defoe when he appeared on The Anton Savage Show on Saturday.
Explaining how ballot papers are not the only items staff can find during the count, he said that three rings had been lost during the voting at the most recent election - of which two had been recovered.
He also said: “We’ve had no bats in the count centres but there was an alleged mouse in Mayo that [counters] had to be warned of, maybe in one of the ballot boxes. 'So, don't let it take off your finger as you're opening it up.'"
Taken aback by this, Savage replied: "A mouse actually in the ballot box?"
To this, Dafoe replied: “Counters were warned when they were opening this morning that there was a chance that a mouse had gotten into a particular box and to tip it out very, very carefully."
Commenting under Midwest Radio's Facebook post, one person wrote: "The mouse should be arrested for election interference."
Another joked: "That's against the law, hope the guards arrest him - breaking and entering and interference of a sealed ballot box."
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