Electoral Register

Who can vote in Ireland? 

Voting in Ireland is open to people who are: 

• Registered to vote

• 18 years old or over on the day of the election or referendum 

• Resident in Ireland, which means Ireland is the place where you ordinarily live 

Can I vote in all elections if I am registered to vote? 

The type of election you can vote in depends on your citizenship status.  

• Irish citizens can vote in all elections and referendums 

• British citizens can vote in Dáil and local elections 

• EU citizens can vote in European and local elections 

• Non-EU citizens can vote in local elections.  

If you were a non-Irish citizen when you first registered to vote, but you later become an Irish citizen, you will need to update your details on the Register of Electors to be able to vote in all elections and referendums. Find out more at CheckTheRegister.ie. 

How to register to vote for the first time 

You can register to vote online through CheckTheRegister.ie or by filling in an application form and submitting it to your local authority. Forms are available at ChecktheRegister.ie.

If you are registering online through CheckTheRegister.ie, you will need to provide: 

• Your PPS number 

• Your Eircode 

• Your residency and/or citizenship status 

The easiest way to register is to do so online. If do not want to register online, you can print and complete the ERF1 form and return it to your local authority.  

Pre-registration for 16 and 17 year olds 

If you are 16 or 17 years old you can apply to pre-register to vote. This means that your details will be added to the Register of Electors ahead of time and you will be able to vote as soon as you turn 18. 

Providing an address 

The address you provide will determine which electoral area you will be voting in. If you have more than one address, use the address where you want to be registered.  

If you have no address, you can still register to vote by selecting ‘no fixed address’ when filling out your application. You will need to provide an address where you can receive correspondence – this is where your polling card will be sent to. If you cannot provide an address, you can give the local authority contact details so that they can let you know when you can collect your polling card. 

When can I register to vote? 

You can register to vote at any time, but if an election or referendum has been formally called, the deadline to submit your application to the local authority is 15 days before the electoral event, not including Sundays, public holidays, and Good Friday.  

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

Do I have to provide my PPS number? 

In order to register to vote online you need to provide your PPS number. This helps the local authority to verify your details.  

If you would prefer not to provide your PPS number you won't be able to register online, but you can still register to vote with a paper-based registration form. To do this use the ERF1 form and bring it along with your photo ID into a Garda station or to the local authority. They will check and confirm your ID and witness your signature. You can then return the form to the local authority. 

How to update your details on the Register of Electors 

If you have changed address, your name, or you wish to update your nationality on the electoral register, you can do this online through CheckTheRegister.ie or by filling in an application form and submitting it to your local authority.  

If you are updating your details online through CheckTheRegister.ie, you will need to provide: 

• Your PPS number 

• Your current name and your previous name (if this applies) 

• Your new address, including Eircode, and your previous address (if this applies) 

Updating your nationality 

If you are updating your nationality, you will need complete an ERF1 form and return it to your local authority. You will need to provide details of your new nationality and your previous nationality, along with a photocopy of your new passport or a copy of your certificate of naturalisation. 

When can I update my details on the register? 

You can update your details on the register at any time, but if an election or referendum has been formally called, the deadline to submit your application to the local authority is 15 days before the electoral event, not including Sundays, public holidays, and Good Friday.  

If the application is not received before the deadline, your details will not be updated in time for the upcoming electoral event, but they will apply for future elections and referendums.  

If you have missed the deadline, this means that for the upcoming electoral event, you will be registered according to your previous details. 

In order to update your details online you will need to provide your PPS number. If you would prefer not to provide your PPS number you won't be able to update the details online, but you can still make a paper-based request. To do this use the ERF1 form and bring it along with your photo ID to a Garda station or to your local authority. They will check and confirm your identity and witness your signature. You can then return the form to the local authority. 

Postal Voters List and Special Voters List 

If you are unable to go to your local polling station on the day of a vote, you may be eligible for the Postal Voters List or the Special Voters List. 

Postal Voters List 

Most people must go to their local polling station to vote. However, some groups may be eligible for the Postal Voters List. You can apply for the Postal Voters List by filling out a PV2 or PV4 form, depending on your circumstances. 

If you register as a postal voter, it will not be possible to vote at a polling station. You must vote by post. 

There are some professions that will allow you to apply for the Postal Voters List: 

• 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 

You can also apply for the Postal Voters List in special circumstances, 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  

If you wish to register as a postal voter, you must do so before the deadline. The deadline for registering as a postal voter depends on the type of election coming up: 

• General election: No later than two days after the dissolution of the Dáil (this means the Taoiseach has dissolved or broken up the Dáil and an election must be held within 30 days) 

• Dáil bye-election: No later than two days after a polling day order (the announcement of the day the election is to be held) for a Dáil bye-election  

• Presidential election: No later than 22 days before polling day. The 22 days does not include Sundays, Good Friday, or Public Holidays. 

• Local or European election: No later than 22 days before polling day. The 22 days does not include Sundays, Good Friday, or Public Holidays. 

• Referendum: No later than 22 days before polling day. The 22 days does not include Sundays, Good Friday, or Public Holidays. 

Special Voters List 

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 allows you to 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. 

If you are applying for the Special Voters List for the first time, you will need to provide medical certification with your application. 

The deadline for registering for the Special Voters List depends on the type of election coming up: 

• General election: No later than two days after the dissolution of the Dáil (this means the Taoiseach has dissolved or broken up the Dáil and an election must be held within 30 days) 

• Dáil bye-election: No later than two days after a polling day order (the announcement of the day the election is to be held)  

• Presidential election: No later than 22 days before polling day. The 22 days does not include Sundays, Good Friday, or Public Holidays. 

• Local or European election: No later than 22 days before polling day. The 22 days does not include Sundays, Good Friday, or Public Holidays. 

• Referendum: No later than 22 days before polling day. The 22 days does not include Sundays, Good Friday, or Public Holidays. 

Student voters in Ireland 

If you are a student living away from your normal address in Ireland, you can choose to either update your address to where you are living now (provided this is where you are ordinarily resident, or where you spend most of your time), or you can apply for the Postal Voters List. 

Anonymous electors 

The electoral register is a public register. If you feel that publishing your name and address on the register would be harmful to your personal safety, or the safety of someone in your household, you can apply to be an anonymous elector. You can still vote in elections and referendums where you are eligible, but your name and address will not be published in the public register. 

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

What can my details on the Register of Electors be used for? 

The purpose of the Register of Electors is for storing information on people registered to vote in Ireland. It is an offence to use the full electoral register for direct marketing purposes. 

Your local authority needs some personal data (including your name, address, date of birth, PPS number and nationality) to process your application to register to vote or to make changes to an existing record. 

This information may be shared with other local authorities where necessary to manage and maintain the electoral register. 

To protect the accuracy of the register, your identity data can be cross checked with the Department of Social Protection on a limited basis to confirm identity details (name, date of birth, PPS number). While the register is a public document, your PPS number and date of birth will not be published. 

This helps to ensure that: 

• Only eligible people are registered to vote 

• The register is kept up to date 

• No person is on the register twice or has incorrect details 

The legal basis for this is set out in the Electoral Reform Act 2022.