149,000 voters eligible for Cork elections and the directly-elected mayor plebiscite

149,000 people will be eligible to vote in the Cork City Council elections and directly elected Lord Mayor plebiscite next month.

Yesterday, Housing, Planning and Local Government Minister, Eoghan Murphy, gave the official order for the plebiscites for directly elected mayors in Cork, Limerick, and Waterford.

They will take place in each local authority on the same day as the local elections, European elections, and the referendum on divorce. All those eligible to vote in the local elections will be able to vote in the plebiscite, too.

According to Mr Murphy’s department, the electorate stands at 149,000 in Cork City, 147,000 in Limerick City and County, and 85,000 in Waterford City and County.

Mr Murphy urged the public to vote. “Whatever your views are on the proposal in the plebiscite, can I take this opportunity to encourage voters to go to their polling station during this 15-hour period on May 24 and have your say in the outcome of the plebiscite?” he said.

Polling will take place between 7am and 10pm. To vote at the plebiscite, you must be 18 years or over on polling day and ordinarily resident at the address at which you want to register.

If you are on the register and have moved address recently, you may apply to get on the supplement at your new address.

Eligible voters who are not on the register and wish to vote at the plebiscite should complete a supplemental application form, which is available directly from Cork City Council and online at www.checktheregister.ie.

Completed forms must be received by the registration authority, for the area in which you reside, by Tuesday 7 May, 2019.

If a person is eligible to vote by post, or is unable to vote in person, due to a physical illness or physical disability and is resident in a hospital, nursing home or similar institution, and is not on the postal voters’ list or special voters’ list, as appropriate, they can apply up to Sunday, April 28 for inclusion in the supplements to those lists.

Application forms are available from Cork City Council.

Earlier this week, Fine Gael launched its ‘yes’ campaign for the plebiscite, and will be canvassing voters in the weeks ahead.

The party’s campaign will include a town hall meeting with the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, on May 1. An impartial information campaign, similar to a Referendum Commission, was launched on the same day.

All registered voters can expect to receive details of the proposal through their letterbox in the coming weeks, along with a media and advertising campaign.