Applications for inclusion on the main register of electors are due to close at the end of the working day on Wednesday, November 25th. Registry is required in order to be able to vote in the Republic of Ireland. Anyone intending to vote in the upcoming general election is advised to visit checktheregister.ie to find out whether or not they are currently eligible to vote. If you are not eligible, you can fill out form RFA1 (which can be found here) and send it by post to your local authority before the deadline. Although some authorities accept applications via email, however a comprehensive list of those that do is not available at the time of going to publication.
The register saw a substantial uptick in the number of young people counted among its numbers ahead of the marriage equality referendum last year. Observers have questioned whether or not this will also result in a shift in electoral patterns in the upcoming general election as engagement with it has been far less than with the referendum
Students also have the option of applying for a postal vote. Any student studying full-time and living away from home as a result can claim their postal vote by filling out form PV2 and sending it to their local authority alongside their RFA1 if they are not already registered.
While the main register closes this week, it is still possible to register up to 15 days ahead of the election for inclusion on the supplemental register of electors. The process for applying for this is the same as for the main register and updated forms to do so will be released in due course.
- By Seán O’Reilly, Editor
