The Electoral Commission is ‘deeply concerned’ over the huge number of inaccuracies on the voting registers, managed and maintained by Ireland’s 31 local authorities, and has recommended a plan of action before the next round of electoral events in 2029.
The Electoral Commission’s first oversight report on electoral registers has highlighted the need for accuracy audits, greater priority and resources. The Commission recommends a plan for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the local authorities to address the huge number of inaccurate entries on the registers.
There are an undefined, but potentially significant, number of duplicate or redundant entries on the electoral registers that are managed and maintained by the 31 local authorities.
This issue goes back decades with people registered more than once in one or more local authority areas, people who have emigrated and people who have passed away remaining on the registers.
The report found that 11 local authorities in particular have more people on their local election register than the entire population of those areas eligible to be on the register.
Sligo, Donegal, Galway County, Cork County, Carlow, Cavan and Mayo have the lowest ‘below average accuracy’ indicators in the country.
Art O’Leary, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, discussed the role and impact of citizens’ assemblies in Ireland, at the DCU Conference on ‘Mayoral Governance in Dublin – Democracy, Devolution and Impact’, which was organised by DCU’s School of Law and Government on 29 April.
Art O’Leary, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, stated: “The accuracy and completeness of the electoral registers, as well as how they are managed and maintained, are fundamental to Ireland’s democratic process.”
Accurate registers make it possible to more definitively assess voter turnout and to understand the scale of non-registration, and O’Leary noted that the issue of accuracy needs resources and increased prioritisation by local authorities in the long term. “This will ensure that the management of the electoral registers is improved. Ireland’s voters deserve the strongest and most accurate electoral registers they can have.”
The Commission’s first oversight report has assessed the current status of the accuracy and completeness of the electoral registers, and of how they are managed and maintained by Ireland’s 31 local authorities.
From information provided by the local authorities there are widely varying levels of priority and resources given to the electoral registers across the 31 local authorities, and even between those of similar sizes. While some have made significant efforts to improve their electoral registers, this is not the case for the majority.
