Ó An Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitúil agus Oidhreachta
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Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcom Noonan, and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, have encouraged people to make sure they are correctly registered to vote. Their message reinforces the voter registration awareness campaign launched today encouraging everybody to make sure that their details are current and correct on the Check the Register website.
Significant progress has been made on Programme for Government commitments in relation to the modernisation of the electoral registration process over the past twelve months, with improvements to the voter registration system meaning that people can now register to vote or update their details at any time using the Check the Register system. Furthermore, PPSNs, Dates of Birth and Eircodes can also be added to the system, assisting local authorities in their work to improve the accuracy of the electoral register. 16- and 17-year-olds can now also pre-register to vote and will be automatically added to the electoral register upon turning 18. Work is also underway to establish a national voter registration system, with Dublin City Council recently appointed as the designated registration authority under the Electoral Acts to empower it to establish and manage, on behalf of all local authorities, a national electoral registration system.
Speaking about these improvements, Minister Noonan said:
“The last few years have seen some of the most transformative changes to electoral registration in generations. Not long ago, almost everyone who wanted to register or update their information had to do so by sending a paper form to their local authority and we all recall the long queues at Garda stations at election time. The policy, legislative and technical changes we’ve made, including to checktheregister.ie, mean that you can apply to register or update your details online in just a few short minutes. I’m encouraging everyone today to ensure your local authority has the correct information to enable you to vote come polling day.”
Minister Noonan said that he was particularly pleased that local authorities can now take applications from everyone once they reach the age of 16. He said:
“This means we can reach out to 16- and 17-year-olds while they are still in the school system and get them to register to vote, and they are automatically transferred to the register once they turn 18.”
Minister Noonan also called on long-time voters to log on to checktheregister.ie, even if they haven’t moved or their circumstances haven’t changed:
“It’s really important that everyone confirms their details on the website. It’s not about whether you have voted before, it’s about letting your Local Authority know that your entry is current and correct, so that they can focus on identifying and, where necessary, removing entries that are out of date or incorrect. This helps to protect the integrity of the electoral register for all of us. You can confirm your details on checktheregister.ie by adding your PPSN, date of birth and Eircode, or if you’re in Dublin by going directly to Voter.ie.”
Minister O’Brien added:
“We all recognise the value of our democracy and the electoral register is a critical part of that. While local authorities are responsible for managing and maintaining the electoral register, we are all individually responsible for ensuring our details on the register are current and correct. This is a critical action each of us can take to protect and enhance our democracy.”
Looking to the future – and the challenges facing electoral systems the world over – Minister O’Brien highlighted the newly established role of the Electoral Commission in overseeing the electoral register and its processes and also pointed to the development of a new national electoral registration system:
“In September, I introduced regulations to appoint Dublin City Council as the designated registration authority under the Electoral Acts to empower it to establish and manage, on behalf of all local authorities, a national electoral registration system. That system, which will build on the existing Voter.ie platform, will bring together and further progress all of the work done to date, ensuring that the electoral registration process continues to serve this country and its electorate by bringing the highest standards of security and data protection to bear on this critical aspect of our democracy."
The Ministers noted that the coming 24 months will be a relatively busy electoral period with Local and European Elections in June and both a General Election and Presidential Election due before the end of 2025:
“There’ll be a lot happening, everyone is busy, we have made it easy, so now’s the time to spend five minutes to check and either confirm or update your information,” said Minister Noonan. He went on to quote from the campaign with a clear message for everybody, “Your voice matters, your vote is important. Checktheregister.ie.”
Checktheregister.ie – the easy way to secure your say.
This is the third national awareness campaign since the electoral registration process was updated just over a year ago. The campaign will be run across TV, radio and digital platforms.
The campaign is intended to reinforce the message that everyone is responsible for making sure their details on the electoral register are current and correct, and to encourage people to take action now by going to the Check the Register website and either confirming or updating their details.
A paper form will remain available for those who wish to use it, either with a PPSN or with an in-person identity check at a local Garda station similar to the previous process.
PPSNs, just like dates of birth which are already collected as part of the registration process, will never appear on the electoral register but their inclusion in the process in the background will, over time, also assist in improving the integrity of the register by enabling management of duplicate entries as well as identifying and removing in a timely manner people who are deceased.
Where entries are not updated or information cannot be confirmed local authorities can follow up and ultimately remove entries if they cannot be confirmed as appropriate or accurate. People will have opportunities to engage and can appeal a decision to remove them but this is a necessary step for Local Authorities.
The Electoral Commission - An Coimisiún Toghcháin has an oversight role with respect to the electoral register and its processes. All local authorities are required to report annually on the register in their area and the work they’ve done on it, and, taking that information and any research it has carried out, An Coimisiún will publish a report setting out an assessment on the overall status of the register and its processes. It can also make recommendations to local authorities and to the Minister.
Voter.ie is the electoral registration system used by the four Dublin Local Authorities. It has been in operation since 2019 and consists of a backend database and public-facing portal. Voter.ie will be the basis of the new national electoral registration system, delivering a greater level of integration which will result in efficiencies for local authorities, who will nevertheless continue to manage the electoral register in respect of each of their administrative areas, and also allow the improved management of the register in terms of duplication. The use of MyGovID online authentication, currently only available in Dublin, will also be possible for everyone. The system will deliver a single high level of security and data protection.
Dublin City Council is the designated registration Authority for the purposes of the Electoral Acts (prescribed by SI 460 of 2023). This means that Dublin City Council is responsible for the establishment and management of a new shared national electoral registration database. Procurement for this system, which will build on the existing Voter.ie, began in September 2023 and is expected to be operational from 2025.