Public Consultation on proposals to modernise the Electoral Registration Process

Mr John Paul Phelan, T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for electoral reform, has published a consultation document to get the views of the public on a range of proposals to update and modernise the electoral registration process.

While the current system has served the country well, the processes underpinning the compilation and management of the electoral register have changed little since the foundation of the state. These proposals offer a number of ways to make the registration process more responsive to the needs of a modern democracy.

The public and all stakeholders are invited to give their views, register any concerns, voice their support, identify any issues for implementation; or simply comment. All inputs received will be analysed and the content used to inform the preparation of detailed implementation and legislative proposals over the course of 2019.

The proposals in combination could mean:

• registration in a way that works for everyone – online or on paper
• a clear and simple process – one form, one process, one register – all year round
• a single, secure database to enable cross-local authority checks while protecting data
• balancing security and ease of access to protect the integrity of our registration process
• building an electoral register that is secure, comprehensive and accurate
• data sharing in the future – subject to clear standards, limits and safeguards
• to enable these reforms in full would require improved identity verification such as requiring provision of Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSNs), and some limited data sharing between local authorities who manage the electoral registers and other state bodies (for verification purposes.

To ensure the safety and security of data and the integrity of our electoral system, the following will be considered:

• data protection and privacy will be central at all stages; data collection and storage will be subject to rigorous testing
• hardware and cyber security will be prioritised
• strict usage rules for those working with the register
• rigorous and sustained security and stability auditing over the long-term

Make a Submission

The closing date is Friday 15th March 2019

By email (with any attachments preferably in Microsoft Word format): registerreform@housing.gov.ie

Alternatively, responses can be posted to: Electoral Registration Project Consultation, Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Custom House, Dublin 1, D01 W6X0.

It should be noted that in the interests of transparency, all written submissions received will be made publicly available on the Department’s website.

Accessible version

Respondents are advised that the Department is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2014 and Data Protection legislation.

Personal, confidential or commercially sensitive information should not be included in your submission and it will be presumed that all information contained in your submission is releasable under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.

Responses will inform the preparation of a full implementation proposal for the modernisation of the electoral registration process.

All submissions received will be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection legislation and will be published on the website.

Report on Public Consultation Process

The Report on this Public Consultation process has now been published and is available here – Report of Public Consultation on Proposals to Modernise the Electoral Registration Process.

A Summary of the Report's key findings is available here – Summary of Public Consultation Report.