Kildare residents encouraged to confirm their details or join online electoral register

Kildare residents are being encouraged to either confirm their details or to join the new online electoral register.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien TD, along with Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD have both encouraged the public to confirm and update their details on the electoral register or to register for the first time using a newly upgraded www.checktheregister.ie.

Their comments come as a campaign was launched yesterday to raise public awareness of changes to the electoral registration process.

Speaking about the latest announcement, Minister O’Brien said: "This is one further step in the work to safeguard our electoral processes.

"Every vote is important, and I encourage everyone to confirm or update their details on www.checktheregister.ie to make sure that they can have their say."

Several changes have been made to the process of registering to vote and updating registration details, arising from provisions in Part 3 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022, which commenced on October 13.

All electors are now being asked to visit the site to confirm or update their entry by adding their PPSN, Date of Birth and Eircode. 

This will help local authorities to ensure that entries are accurate and up to date as well as enabling the identification of entries on the register that require follow up.

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• The core changes to the electoral registration process include:
  A move from fixed periods for updating details to rolling updates: previously people could only update their details in November or via the supplement which required a visit to a Garda station. Under the changes announced today, continuous or rolling registration will allow updates or additions at any time of year.
• Streamlining of the application process through use of PPSNs: The use of PPSNs will enable a simple identity data cross-check to protect and improve the integrity of the register, while streamlining the process for electors. This will mean that most people won’t have to visit a Garda station to have their forms witnessed;
• Registering to vote for the first time will now be possible online: PPSNs also enable online applications - for the first-time people can register to vote or update their details online at any time
• 16 and 17 year olds will be able to pre-register to vote: The introduction of a pending electors list to enable those 16 and 17 to pre-register and be automatically added to the register from when they turn 18.
• New provisions to make the register more accessible to all: The new process includes measures to facilitate electors whose safety might be at risk if their details were to be published on the register and those who have no address.  

The changes have been welcomed by Kildare-based Fianna Fáil Senator Fiona O' Loughlin, who said: "This is a welcome update to our voter registration process that will make process smoother, especially for our first-time voters."

Further details from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is available at www.gov.ie/en/publications/, and here: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/a24a6-improvements-to-voter-registration-process-launched-today-as-new-check-the-register-campaign-begins/.