The Government needs to put an education programme in place to show people how to vote in elections, according to one Fianna Fáil senator.

Catherine Ardagh, the party's leader in the Seanad, made the call as there appears to have been "record levels of spoiled votes" in the European and Local Elections.

She said thousands of votes were inadvertently spoiled during the elections on Friday.

In the European Elections there were 73,766 spoiled votes in total. 36,793 spoiled votes in the South constituency; in Midlands North West there were 21,628; in Dublin 15,345.

Ms Ardagh recounted how she was tallying and involved in adjudicating on spoiled votes in a count centre over the weekend.

"What we have learned from this election is that we have seen record levels of spoiled votes across all the European elections, and in the local elections."

She acknowledged that everyone has the right to spoil their vote but she noticed that a lot of people put the word 'Yes' or the letter 'X' beside a candidates name on the ballot paper.

She said: "People actually don't know how to vote. It is something that we all think is very straightforward and simple but a lot of people simply don't know what to do.

"I think it is incumbent on the Government to ensure that there is an education programme for the next election.

"Perhaps the electoral commission could take out ads showing people how to vote."

"It's a real pity that we had spoiled votes in the thousands across the country.

"Those people that voted probably did not know they are spoiling their votes and it is very unfair. I think it undemocratic of us not show people how to vote."