Register to Vote
Did you know that everyone resident in Ireland, regardless of citizenship, can vote in elections?
There are graduated levels of voting rights depending on your citizenship. Irish citizens can vote in all elections (Presidential, Referendums, General (Dáil), European and Local).
Citizens of the United Kingdom resident in Ireland can vote in General (Dáil), European and Local elections – this is a reciprocal arrangement, so Irish citizens living in the UK have the same rights to vote in British elections.
Citizens of all other EU member states resident in Ireland can vote in European (MEP) elections and Local (City/County Council) elections.
Finally, everyone resident in Ireland, regardless of nationality, can vote in Local Elections – those for City and County Councils (and Town Councils/Borough Councils where they exist). The next Local Election is in June 2009, so it’s time to get registered now.
You can check to see if you’re on the electoral register at CheckTheRegister.ie, and further information is also available from Dublin City Council.
To register to vote for the first time in Ireland, you should complete an RFA1 form (PDF document – you may require Adobe Acrobat Reader).
If you have moved address, but were previously registered elsewhere (even in a different county), you should submit an RFA3 form (Word document).
If it’s coming very close to an election, you can apply for inclusion on the “Supplementary Register”. This is an addition to the normal electoral register for those who need to register late. It normally closes two to three weeks before the election date. The form for this is RFA2 (Word document).
Alternatively, you can call the Dublin City Council Franchise Section on 01 222 5010 to request a copy of the form.
The completed form must then be sent to:
Dublin City Council
Franchise Section
FREEPOST
16/19 Wellington Quay
Dublin 2