Cork's National Voter Registration Day aiming to make people aware about voters rights

A NATIONAL Voter Registration Day is to be held on Tuesday, April 30, to increase political participation by minorities and young people.

The goal is to establish an annual voter registration national day in Ireland, ahead of the local elections in June 2024. April 30 would be the annual day.

The initiative was founded by Liliana Fernandez, programme manager at Common Purpose Ireland; Leon Diop, co-founder of Black and Irish; and Brian Hearne, policy and communications manager at the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS).

They want to inform underrepresented groups and young people of their right to vote in the elections, and how to register to vote.

Lack of knowledge

“There is a lack of knowledge about voter rights among many people in Ireland,” Ms Fernandez said. “This raises concerns about civic engagement and representation in Irish politics.”

The turnout for the local elections in 2019 was between 40% and 60%, with a higher turnout for Cork County Council’s elections than for Cork City Council’s.

57% of eligible people voted in Macroom and in Bantry, while 42% did in Cork City North West.

Ms Fernandez said: “In anticipation of the upcoming local elections, we are collaborating with community leaders across the country to inform minorities and young people of their political rights, educate them on the roles of local councillors, the functions of local authorities, and how to register to vote.”

You do not have to be an Irish citizen to vote in a local election, but you must be ordinarily resident in the State to register on the Register of Electors.

To vote in a local election, you must be over 18 years of age, live in the local electoral area, and be listed on the Register of Electors.

To find out if your name is on the register, you can check online at checktheregister.ie, or enquire at your local Garda station, post office, public library, or local authority office. 

Electoral register

If you want to be added to the electoral register, you can complete an application form and return it to your local authority, with application forms available online at checktheregister.ie or at your local authority office.

You then send your completed application form by free-post to your local authority, and there is no need to put a stamp on the envelope.

To be eligible to vote in European elections in Ireland, which will be held on the same date, you must be a citizen of the European Union, over 18 years of age, and listed in the Register of Electors.

If you are an EU citizen and you were not registered to vote in previous European elections in Ireland, you must apply for registration and complete a statutory declaration form (EP1), which is available from city and county councils. The forms are sent to the applicant’s home member state to prevent double voting.

Mr Hearne added: “We are engaging with a wide range of groups and organisations, and gathering support from around the country to create an annual national voter registration day on April 30.

“We want to ensure that anyone who is eligible to vote is registered to vote but, in particular, we want to reach underrepresented groups and young people, who are often unaware of their voting rights in Ireland. For example, many migrants who do not have Irish citizenship are unaware that they can vote in local elections.

“Our aim is to have as many voter registration centres as we can throughout Ireland. Arrangements are already underway to have voter registration drives in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, and Kilkenny, and we hope to have more locations confirmed over the coming days.”

Community leaders

He told The Echo: “We’re hoping to have at least one voter registration centre in Cork and have been in touch with several migrant community leaders who are interested in volunteering to register people.

“We have also been in touch with NASC to see if they are interested in supporting the initiative,” he added.

The national voter registration day on April 30 would be implemented via the collaboration of community leaders, groups, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders.

Materials will be made available for voter registration drives across Ireland.

Thirty organisations from across the country are supporting the initiative, including: Black and Irish, Irish Council for International Students, National Women’s Council, AkiDwa, the Electoral Commission, Doras, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Minceirs Whiden, Dignity Partnership, National Traveller Women’s Forum, See Her Elected, the Cultural Wheel, Dublin South City Partnership, Southside Partnership Women’s Programme DLR, Waterford New Communities Network, and Women For Election.