Voting in Ireland

Voting procedure

• Your polling station will be indicated on your polling card. It is possible that this could be a different station to where you voted in the last election/referendum. If you don't have a polling card, see the section below: If You Don't Have a Polling Card .
• Your polling card will have a number on it, typically beginning with two letters. Each desk in the polling station will have a range of numbers indicated. Go to the desk for your number. (If you are on the supplemental register, there will be no desk with your number, and you should go to the desk with the lowest number). If you go to the wrong desk, they will be able to tell you which one you should go to.
• You produce your polling card and evidence of identity to the officials.
  If you have not received your polling card, you can still vote (provided that you are registered at your current address) but you will need identification.
• The officials will take a blank ballot paper for each election/referendum which you are entitled to vote in, from the pad, stamp it and give it to you. They will mark your name off the register.
• Check that the ballot paper has the official mark. This is a series of holes punched in the ballot paper, forming a letter. If it does not have it, remind the official to stamp it. (For the mark to be valid, every pin of the stamp must have at least made an impression on the paper). If your ballot paper does not have this mark, it will not be counted.
• Go to a polling booth and mark all ballot papers as described below. Noone should be able to see what you are writing.
• Fold all ballot papers in half and put them in the ballot box. It must be the box at the same table that you got your ballot paper from.

Marking the ballot paper

You may be given more than one ballot paper (if there are multiple elections or referenda held on the same day).

Marking a referendum ballot paper

• Check that the ballot paper has the official mark. This is a series of holes punched in the ballot paper, forming a letter. It should be punched just before it is given to you.
• Clearly mark an "X" (not a tick mark, the word "Yes" or "No" or anything else) in the box to the right of the word "Yes" or "No" on the ballot paper.
• DO NOT WRITE OR MARK ANYTHING ELSE ON THE BALLOT PAPER. Any superfluous marks spoil the vote. An example of such a mark in the second Nice Referendum is where a voter wrote "Yes to enlargement, No to Nice" on the paper and put an "X" beside "No". The voter clearly intended to vote "No", but his/her vote was spoiled.

Marking an election ballot paper

• Check that the ballot paper has the official mark. This is a series of holes punched in the ballot paper, forming a letter. It should be punched just before it is given to you.
• Clearly write the number "1" beside your first preference candidate (in the box to the right of the candidate's name and party affiliation).
• Optionally, write the number "2" beside your next preference candidate and continue with each preference for as many preferences as you want to specify.
  If you write only a first preference and your first preference candidate is not elected, then your vote is effectively wasted (it won't influence the outcome of the election). If you write only a first preference and your first preference candidate is elected, then, unless that candidate got exactly the quota (the minimum number of votes needed to be elected), a fraction of your vote is wasted.
• Write the digits legibly.
  If your handwriting is dificult to read, take the time to write these few digits clearly. If a digit looks like a different digit at a momentary glance, it is likely to be counted as that. (For example, I've seen 1's with exaggerated serifs making them look like 7's, 7's that look like 1's, 4's where the vertical line is completely separate and looks like a "1", and even digits that a few people can look closely at and still not know what it is supposed to be).
• There must not be more than one preference of the same number (e.g. two number "1" preferences) on the same ballot paper. If there is, then that preference and subsequent preferences cannot be used. Check that you have not accidentally done this before putting the ballot paper in the box.
• You must not skip a preference, e.g. a number "1" and number "3" without a number "2".
• Mark your preferences starting from number "1" on each election ballot paper separately. For example, do NOT mark a number "1" preference on a local election ballot paper followed by a number "2" on a European Parliament ballot paper.
• DO NOT WRITE OR MARK ANYTHING ELSE ON THE BALLOT PAPER. Any superfluous marks spoil the vote.

If you make a mistake

If you make a mistake in filling in a ballot paper, go to the table where you got the ballot paper and ask for a new one. You give your first ballot paper to them. If you don't want the officials to see what you filled in, or are concerned about it ending up in the count by mistake, you can cross out all your markings to make it completely illegible and invalid.

Ballot papers returned in this way are put in an envelope at the close of voting, and returned with the Ballot Paper Account (a form accounting for all ballot papers that the polling station (table) had at the start of voting, which can be used for checking that the correct number is in the ballot box).

Making corrections on a ballot paper could make it unclear and risk spoiling it.

You have to find out what polling station to vote at. You can check the electoral registor online at http://www.checktheregister.ie/. This will show the information which would be on your polling card, including your voter number and polling station.

If you go to the wrong polling station, the staff at a polling station will NOT usually be able to tell you what polling station to go to.

If you arrive at a polling station, not having a polling card and not knowing your voter number, you can see what table to vote at from a list of street names for each table (this is shown in a chart usually near where you enter the polling station). If you registered to vote only shortly before the election, you may be on the supplemental register, in which case you go to the table with the lowest number. If in doubt, the staff at any table can help you.

Checking the registor of electors

You can check the electoral registor online at:
  http://www.checktheregister.ie/.
This also shows your polling station, and what elections you are entitled to vote in.

It can also be seen at any public library, post office or Garda Station.

You can get forms to register to vote at the web site above, or from your local authority, a public library, post office or Garda Station.

Registering to vote

To register:

• Get and fill in a Supplement Form (RFA2) online, from a Garda Station, post office or public library or from your local authority.
  If you are already registered to vote but have changed address, you will need form RFA3.
• The form must be signed by a Garda - go to any Garda station (preferably your local one).
  Bring proof of identification and proof of residence.
• Post it to your local authority (by freepost). For Dublin City Council, the address is: Dublin City Council, Franchise Section, 16-19 Wellingotn Quay, Dublin 2.
  It must arrive before the 14th day before polling day.

Entitlement to vote

Non-Irish citizens resident in Ireland (aged 18 or over) can vote in local elections.

EU nationals (aged 18 or over) resident in Ireland can vote in the European Parliament elections and local elections.

British citizens can also vote in Dáil elections.

Resident Irish citizens (aged 18 or over) can vote in local, Dáil and presidential elections and referenda.