Eligibility to Vote

Who can vote ?
Citizenship determines the elections at which an elector may vote. At present the right to vote is as follows:

• Irish citizens have full voting rights and may vote in every election and referendum;

• British citizens may vote at Dáil and Local Elections;

• EU citizens (other than British citizens) may vote at European and Local Elections;

• Non-EU citizens may vote at Local Elections only.

---

Conditions for Registration

• Age: A person must be at least 16 year of age in order to be able to register as a pending elector.  However, in order to be eligible to vote, a person must have reached 18 years of age on polling day.

• Citizenship: while every adult resident is entitled to be registered, the registration authority needs to know a person's citizenship to determine the elections a person may vote in.

The right to vote is as follows:

• Irish citizens may vote in every election and referendum;

• British citizens may vote at Dáil and local elections;

• Other EU citizens may vote at European and local elections; (Applicants must also complete form ERF1)

• Non-EU citizens may vote in local elections only.

Notes:

• A person may be registered at one address only.
• If a person has more than one address (e.g., a person living away from home to attend college or in connection with employment), the registration authority should be told which address the person wishes to be registered for.
• A person who leaves his/her ordinary residence with the intention of returning there within eighteen months can continue to be registered there, subject to the overriding condition that a person may be registered at one address only.
• A visitor or person staying temporarily at an address should not be registered.

• If you have no address, you can register with ‘no fixed address.’ You must then give an address where you can receive correspondence.

Deadline for registering to vote
Your application must be received by the local authority at least 15 days before an election or referendum (excluding Sundays, Good Friday and public holidays). If it is received on or after 14 days before an election or referendum is taking place, you will not be registered to vote in that election or referendum.