Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
649. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason postal votes cannot be arranged in advance of election day to accommodate people who are abroad/cannot make it to their local polling station on election day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12320/24]
View answerUnder electoral law, in order to be able to vote at electoral events in Ireland, a person's name must be entered in the register of electors for a constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides. With some exceptions (mainly postal and special voters) all persons must attend in person to vote at their local polling station and Irish citizens resident outside the State do not have the right to vote at elections or at referendums held in the State.
Electoral law provides for postal voting for a number of different categories of people:
• whole-time members of the Defence Forces
• members of An Garda Síochána
• Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses/civil partners
• electors living at home who are unable to vote because of an illness or a disability
• electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day
• full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State,
• prisoners, and
• certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside.
In addition, Section 93 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 provides for anonymous registration and a postal vote where a person’s safety (or a member of their household) may be compromised by publication of their details on the electoral register. Where a person is registered as an anonymous voter, that person is only able to vote by post.
The Electoral Reform Act 2022 included provisions for the establishment of an independent, statutory electoral commission - An Coimisiún Toghcháin. An Coimisiún has been given a new research, advisory and public information function, which involves the commission conducting research on electoral policy and procedure. An Coimisiún is also empowered to advise and make recommendations to the Minister and the Government in relation to any proposals for legislative change, or any other policy matters concerning electoral and legislative proposals.
The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future contains a commitment to examine the use of postal voting, with a view to expanding its provision. In support of this commitment I wrote to An Coimisiún in July 2023, and outlined a number of issues that An Coimisiún might include in its initial research programme. This included the commitment in the Programme for Government relating to postal voting. An Coimisiún’s draft research programme, published on 10 November 2023, included a proposal to examine the issue of postal voting. I will review this policy area once An Coimisiún has considered and made recommendations on the issue.
