With the election less than three weeks away and the political campaign underway, it’s time to make sure you’re registered to vote.
Voting takes place November 29th, and as per usual you must be registered 15 days prior to the election.
The deadline for registering to vote online or to change your details is Tuesday 12th November. You will have until 11.59PM on Tuesday to make these changes. The last day to register for a postal vote and special voting is on Sunday 10th November.
To be eligible to vote you must be a resident in Ireland and over the age of 18 on the day of the election. You also must be an Irish citizen or a British citizen living in Ireland. To get more details on if you’re able to vote in the upcoming election visit www.citizensinformation.ie .
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to register to vote for the upcoming Irish general election.
To confirm you’re registered you can visit www.CheckTheRegister.ie.
For this you need your PPS (Personal Public Service) Number and your Eircode. If you are unable to register to vote online you can do so by filling out an ERF1 form and post it to your relevant local authority. However, you must ensure that it will reach your local authority before the deadline on the 12th, so your best bet is to register online.
If you discover you aren’t already registered, you can do so on the Check the Register website. It doesn’t take long. You will need your name and date of birth. You will also need to provide your nationality and address. Then you will have to give your contact details such as your phone number and email address.
If you are previously registered but would like to change your details, you can also do this. This applies to you if you are living away from home at university and would like to vote in the constituency of your new address.
If you cannot make it to your local polling station on the date of the election, Friday November 29th then you have until Sunday November 10th to apply for a postal vote. You can apply for a postal vote if you have a physical illness or a physical disability. If you are at work or are in full time study and cannot go to your polling station on polling day, then you can fill over a PV4 form which would allow you to vote by post. That form needs to be signed by a college/school or an employer and has to be sent to your county/city council. To view all voting registration forms, go to the www.voter.ie website.
In the days on the lead up to the election you will receive a polling card with your name. It will be sent by post to the address that you used when you registered to vote. This is the polling card that you will bring to your local polling station when you cast your vote. It is possible that the polling card might not arrive in time for the election. However, you can still vote if you’re registered and go to your local polling station.
To find out where your local polling station is, read the polling information card that was sent to your address. This will tell you the address of your polling station, with their opening and closing times. They are usually local community buildings such as schools. You can only vote in your designated polling station that is on your polling card. Another way to find out where your local polling station is, is by checking www.CheckTheRegister.ie this will also tell you or by calling your local authority.
Remember it is okay if you are undecided on who to vote for, you still have time to make that decision. However, if you would like to vote then you must make sure you are registered, otherwise you won’t get your say in the next general election. There are many issues facing students so it’s important your voice is heard.