Electoral Register FAQ

If an election or referendum has been formally called, the deadline for registering to vote is 15 days before the election takes place, (not including Sundays, public holidays, or Good Friday).   

If the application is not received before the deadline, you cannot be added in time for the upcoming electoral event. You can be added for future elections and referendums however.   

The deadline for registering to vote in time for the upcoming General Election on 29 November has now passed. New applications to register or change details will not be considered until after Friday 29 November 2024. 

You can use CheckTheRegister.ie to check your details on the Electoral Register. The site will also tell you your elector number and the location of your polling station.

Your details on the Electoral Register are managed by your local city or county council. If you are unable to use the CheckTheRegister.ie website your council can help you. Their contact details are here: https://checktheregister.ie/en-IE/contact 

Note that the deadline for updating your details on the Electoral Register in time for the upcoming General Election on 29 November has now passed. New applications to register or change details will not be considered until after Friday 29 November 2024. 

The deadline for joining the Postal Voters List in time for the upcoming General Election has now passed. If you have not already registered to vote by post then you will not be able to do so in the upcoming election. 

 Voting by post is possible for some voters depending on their circumstances, but it's not available to most people. 

 To vote by post you have to apply to join the Postal Voters List. When you're on the Postal Voters List you can only vote by post, and you cannot vote in person at a polling station. 

 There are some specific professions that let you apply to vote by post: 

• An Irish diplomat posted abroad

• The spouse or civil partner of an Irish diplomat who is living abroad with them  

• A member of An Garda Siochana  

• A whole-time member of the Defence Forces  

There are also some special personal circumstances that let you apply to vote by post, including if: 

• You have a physical illness or disability  

• You are studying full time in Ireland, and you are living away from the home address where you are registered to vote  

• You are in prison as a result of an order of a court   

 To apply to join the Postal Voters List download form PV2 or form PV4 from this page: https://www.checktheregister.ie/en-IE/forms

To vote in the General Election you must ordinarily live in Ireland. You cannot register to vote in Ireland if you live abroad. 

Voting in the General Election is open to Irish and British citizens. You must also be ordinarily resident in Ireland and be registered to vote.

If you feel that publishing your name and address on the register would be harmful to your safety, or the safety of someone in your household, you can apply to be an anonymous elector. You can still vote in elections but your details won't appear on the public register. You will vote by post and not attend your polling station on polling day.  

 To apply to be an anonymous elector, fill out the PV7 form and return it to your local authority. 

If you live in a hospital, nursing home or a similar institution, you may be eligible for the Special Voters List. Being on the Special Voters List means you can vote at the location where you live, rather than having to go to a polling station. You can apply for the Special Voters List by filling out the SV1 form on https://www.checktheregister.ie/en-IE/forms 

Note that the deadline for registering for the Special Voters List in time for the upcoming General Election has now passed. If you're not already registered on the Special Voters List you won't be able to vote this way in the upcoming election, but you can apply to register for future elections. 

You don't need to bring your polling card with you to the polling station in order to vote. Be sure to bring along photo ID (e.g. your passport or driving licence) for the polling staff to check.  As soon as they establish your identity and your right to vote at that station they can issue you with a ballot paper.

If you receive a polling card meant for someone else - for example, someone who used to live at your address and who did not update their details on the register after they moved away - you should return it to your local authority and let them know it was received in error. Your local authority can update the register accordingly.

It will be helpful if you can include details about why the polling card was received in error, such as whether that person has moved away or if they are deceased.

The contact details for your local authority are here: https://checktheregister.ie/en-IE/contact