Minister makes order for polling day

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O'Brien has today made an order appointing Friday, November 29 as polling day and the hours from 7am to 10pm to be the hours of polling at the General Election.

To stand for election to Dáil Éireann, a candidate must be a citizen of Ireland and at least 21 years of age by polling day.

A person may nominate himself or herself as a candidate or, with his or her consent, may be nominated by a person who is registered as an elector in the constituency concerned. A candidate not in possession of a certificate of political affiliation (confirmation that a person is a candidate of a political party registered in the Register of Political Parties) must have their nomination completed using either of the following options: by way of assents requiring the completion of statutory declarations by 30 assentors (registered electors) in the relevant Dáil constituency, or by way of the candidate, or someone on his or her behalf, lodging a deposit of €500 with the returning officer.

The latest time for receiving nominations is 12 noon on Saturday, November 16. Candidates may withdraw their nominations up to 12 noon on Monday, November 18.

Every person who is an Irish or British citizen and is included in the register of electors is entitled to vote at the General Election; over 3.5 million people are currently entitled to vote at Dáil elections.

Voter Registration

A person eligible to vote but not yet registered as an elector still has time to apply for entry in the register of electors. To be eligible to vote a person must be 18 years of age or over on or before polling day and be ordinarily resident in the constituency in which they wish to vote. They must also be included on the Register of Electors.

Everyone is encouraged to check that their details are correct and up-to-date at www.checktheregister.ie. If a person’s details are correct, there is no need to do anything and a polling information card will issue in due course.

Eligible voters who are not on the register, or who need to update their details, for example, because they have moved house, can do so by submitting an online application at www.checkthereigster.ie or by submitting a form to their local authority. Relevant application forms are available from City, County or City and County Councils (these are the registration authorities) or online at www.checktheregister.ie.

Completed applications must be received by the registration authority for the area in which a person resides by Tuesday 12 November 2024.

If a person is eligible to vote by post, or is unable to vote in person due to an illness or disability and is resident in a hospital, nursing home, mental health facility or similar institution, and they are not on the Postal Voters List or Special Voters List, as appropriate, they can apply for inclusion in those lists. The deadline for receipt of applications is Sunday 10 November 2024. Application forms are available from City, County or City and County Councils and online at www.checktheregister.ie.

Voting, to elect 173 members (excluding the Ceann Comhairle, who is deemed without any actual election to be elected) to the 34th Dáil, will take place in the 43 constituencies specified in the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023.

Further information in relation to electoral matters and the general election is available at: www.gov.ie/vote