The public will have more options for checking their voting registration using the newly updated www.checktheregister.ie.
Arising from changes due to the Electoral Reform Act 2022, key features include registering to vote and updating personal details are possible online year-round, 16- and 17-year-olds can now pre-register online. The Act also provides for the establishment of an independent Electoral Commission, An Coimisiún Toghcháin, the modernisation of the electoral registration process and the regulation of online political advertising
Core changes to the electoral registration process include:
- A move from fixed periods for updating details to rolling updates,
- Streamlining of the application process through use of PPSNs,
- Registering to vote for the first time will now be possible online,
- 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote,
- New provisions to make the register more accessible to all.
In addition to better accessibility, changes to how the register is managed and maintained will ensure a robust electoral register into the future. The public is being asked to visit www.checktheregister.ie to confirm/ update their entry by adding their PPSN, date of birth and Eircode.
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien T.D. and Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, T.D. together encouraged the public to confirm and update their details the on the electoral register or to register for the first time on the newly upgraded website – www.checktheregister.ie – to make sure that they can have their say.
Furthermore, existing flexible voting arrangements are extended to those with mental health difficulties that prevent them from attending on polling day and those who live in nursing homes or similar places that may be inaccessible on polling day.
A further phase of the project will see the development and roll out of a national system for use by all local authorities to further enhance the integrity of the register and ensure that a single high standard of security and data protection is applied to the electoral register and its underlying data.