Registering to vote

To vote in an election or referendum in Ireland, you must be:

• Eligible to vote and
• Registered to vote

This page explains how to register to vote, and what to do if your situation has changed since the last election or referendum took place.

Each local authority maintains the Register of Electors for its area.

To be included in the Register of Electors, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be ordinarily resident at an address in Ireland

If you are homeless or have no address, you can still register to vote by stating that you have ‘no fixed address.’ Read more about being homeless and registering to vote.

If you have more than one address, you should give the address where you want to be registered. You can only be registered at one address.

You can register to vote:

• Online at checktheregister.ie
• By filling in an application form

If you do not give a PPS number, you must get your form and ID witnessed at a local Garda station or your local authority.

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 not received in time, you will not be registered to vote in that election or referendum.

There are different deadlines for the Postal Voters and Special Voters Lists.

If you are aged 16 or 17

You can add your details to the pending elector list if you are aged 16 or 17 and you are ordinarily resident in Ireland.

Your local authority can then move you to the live electoral register when you reach the age of 18.

Anonymous electors

The Register of Electors is a public document. Your PPS number and your date of birth will not be published.

The Register of Electors can be inspected at local authority offices. If you are concerned that having your other details available for inspection would put you in danger, you can apply to be an anonymous elector.

If you are recorded as an anonymous elector, you will vote by post.

You can update your details at any time during the year. The easiest way to do this is on checktheregister.ie.

You must change your details at least 15 days before polling day (excluding Sundays, Good Friday and public holidays).

Third-party requests

You can apply to update the register if you have reasonable grounds to believe an entry about another person is inaccurate. For example, you can apply to update the register if someone has died.

Voting by post

Most voters have to vote in person at an official voting centre. However, you may be eligible for a postal vote if you are:

• An Irish diplomat posted abroad, or their spouse or civil partner who is living abroad with them
• A whole-time member of the Defence Forces

You may also be eligible for a postal vote if you cannot go to a polling station because:

• You have an illness or disability
• You are studying full time at an educational institution in Ireland, which is away from the home address where you are registered
• You cannot vote at your local polling station because of your occupation, service or employment
• You are unable to vote at your polling station because you are in prison as a result of an order of a court
• You are a member of the Garda Síochána
• You are registered as an anonymous elector, or you are part of the household of an anonymous elector

People who are eligible to vote by post are registered on the Postal Voters List.

If you are registered as a postal voter, you can only vote by post. You cannot vote at a polling station.

Special Voters List

You may qualify to be on a Special Voters List if you live in a hospital, nursing home or similar institution and wish to vote at these locations. If you are applying for the first time you must send a medical certificate with your application.

How to register for Postal Voters and Special Voters Lists

Application forms are available on checktheregister.ie and from your local authority.

The latest date for receipt of applications is:

• For a general election, 2 days after the dissolution of the Dáil
• For a Dáil bye-election, 2 days after the polling day order is made
• For other elections or referendums, 22 days before polling day (excluding Sundays, Good Friday and public holidays)

You can read more about voting facilities for people with disabilities.

Before October 2022, an edited version of the Register of Electors was available. This edited version could be used for direct marketing purposes.

Since October 2022, there is no longer an edited version of the Register of Electors.

It is an offence for an organisation to use the full electoral register for direct marketing purposes. Find out more about how to deal with unsolicited direct marketing material.

If you are studying away from home while attending college, you can register at either your home address or your student residential address.

You must be registered at one address only.

If you live away from the address at which you are registered, you will need to update the register.

If you leave your address but you plan to return there within 18 months, you can continue to be registered there, as long you do not register at any other address.

Students can register to vote by post if they are currently registered, but unable to go to their polling station because they are studying away from home. To register to vote by post, complete form PV4 and send it to the local authority in the area where you want to vote. See 'Postal Voters and Special Voters lists' above for more information.

If you are an Irish citizen living abroad, you cannot be added to the Register of Electors unless you are an Irish official on duty abroad (or their spouse or civil partner).

You can apply directly, or download application forms, on checktheregister.ie. Forms are also available from your local authority.

Return the completed form to your local authority.

You can get more information on voter registration from your local authority, or the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The Electoral Commission oversees the accuracy and maintenance of the electoral registers.