The more things change: the more they might not. The Tribune poll for the February election 2020 was conducted a week before election day. The poll examined the views of the Donegal electorate and Sinn Féin led the way with more than 40%. And like all tracker of opinions prior to the election there will always be a margin of error. The ballot boxes on Friday are the real test of what the political future holds and the result may take time, perhaps months before a government is formed. Our main picture on election week 2020 featured a demand for a new stroke unit at LUH. We were the only hospital without one. “It can save up to 16 lives a year in Donegal,” said senior Consultant, Ken Mulpeter. Our poll findings in 2020 revealed that Sinn Fein had the edge in Donegal with a rating of 42.8%. FF 20.8%: FG15.5%: Indepts 15.2% were the main features. We’ve moved on in a way that nobody could have imagined. However, this week’s poll could have had the same headline, but it does not, even though there will be winners and losers. These changes, if carried through in Friday’s vote, will create more nuanced voting. There are subtle changes in the air and some of the top candidates will be happier than others. At the other end of the poll there is a large group of ten candidates who will not be on 2%. However, it is their transfers that will elect TDs and that is an intriguing part of the story.
