Voting: Questions and Answers
Here is a list of questions and answers to some common issues which have been raised with me in relation to voting in the upcoming General Election.
Q. Who can vote?
A. Every Irish citizen living in Ireland over the age of 18 on or before polling day, as well as any British citizen ordinarily resident in Ireland, is entitled to the vote in the General Election.
Q. How do I know if I am registered?
A. The registers maintained by the local authorities are now available online. If you meet the criteria above but are not registered, you can apply to your local authority to be added on to the list up to 15 days before polling day.
Q. What if my address is out of date?
A. You can apply to your local authority to have your details changed up to 15 days before the Election.
Q. I will be away at college on polling day. Can I still vote?
A. Yes. If you are in full-time third-level education, you can either apply to get your vote moved to where you are studying or you can apply for a postal vote.
Q. Who can vote by post?
A. Postal voting is available to persons with a physical disability, students living away from their registered address, those in prison as a result of a court order, and certain professions like the gardaí, members of the Defence Forces and Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses. Applications must be made to local authorities up to two days after the dissolution of the Dáil, which is done up to 30 days before a General Election.
Q. I will be abroad on polling day. Can I still vote?
A. No. Irish citizens living abroad are not entitled to vote, and overseas postal voting only applies to Irish officials serving abroad and their spouses