Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
AS THE EIGHTH Amendment referendum draws closer, a number of people have been concerned about not being able to find themselves on checktheregister.ie.
The website is a service provided by local authorities so people can check their entries on the Electoral Register online.
As TheJournal.ie confirmed earlier this week, it is not possible for voters to be removed from the register over the phone by others, but people have still reported not being able to find themselves on the register online, despite having voted before.
For a variety of reasons, people have been unable to find their details on the register when typing in their details.
Amnesty’s Colm O’Gorman was one who took to Twitter about not being able to find his details on the register, and this generated numerous responses from people who had found themselves with similar problems.
People have also brought their concerns to local representatives, with Sinn Féin TD for Limerick Maurice Quinlivan saying that a number of constituents had been in contact over the issue.
Details are crucial
Information is provided to checktheregister.ie - which is run by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government – by local authorities.
Based on their location in the country, people have been having issues finding themselves on the register with inputting eircodes working for some, but not others.
In a statement to TheJournal.ie earlier this week, a spokesperson for the Department said it is not possible to remove a third party from the register in advance of the referendum, and that “many of the doubts being cast online are unfounded”.
Similarly, a spokesperson for Dublin City Council told TheJournal.ie that a large majority of people registered by 15 February this year will remain so until the referendum, unless it’s in the case that a person has died or sends a written request in to have themselves removed.
“The onus is on the elector to check their status and that their details are correct when the draft register is published each year,” the spokesperson said.
But, in many cases, people have found difficulty confirming that status either through their name or the address they provide.
The instances of this vary based on local authorities.
Following up with the Department again, a spokesperson told us that there are a few reasons why people might not be able to find themselves on the online register.
The spokesperson said: “The checktheregister.ie website requires a certain amount of precision when people are checking their details.
Therefore people need to be accurate in entering their details so fadas, apostrophes and other punctuation is important.
They added that if anyone had any doubts over whether or not they were on the register, they “should contact their local authorities directly”.
So if, for whatever reason, you cannot find yourself on checktheregister.ie, the department advises to ring your local authority. Once you are put through to the appropriate section, they will be able to tell you if you are registered to vote.
‘Highest degree of accuracy’
Responding to a query from TheJournal.ie, South Dublin County Council said that local authorities work to “ensure the highest degree of accuracy” in the register and that it would be unlikely for someone to disappear from the register entirely.
And, if someone does happen to be deleted from the register in error, local authorities act to rectify the error immediately.
A spokesperson said: “Another reason for deleting a person is when an RFA form (to be included on the Register of Electors) is submitted with names and an address of all occupants in the household and on examining the database it is noted that another person not included on the form is currently registered at that address, they are deleted.
Every effort is made to ensure each person eligible to vote can vote. There are provisions in place where a person is deleted in error to be re-registered and publicity campaigns advising people to check the register to make sure they are registered. We also use the online deps systems to delete those people who have passed away.
So, if you have registered before, it’s highly likely that you’re still on the register.
If you can’t find yourself using the online site, the best way to know for sure is to ring your local authority who can verify for you if are you on it.
And, if for any reason your are not registered to vote, you still have time. The deadline to register to vote in next month’s referendum is 8 May.
With reporting from Paul Hosford
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
What about the crisis of bullying in SinnFein Peadair?
@Dave Sherman: they have procedures in place aka kangaroo court.
@Paul: Was the kangaroo court not when Enda Kenny used Dail privilege to act as judge and jury against people who had already been acquitted in a court of law?
@Dave Sherman: What about, what about, what about…
@Dermo Adams: nah the Kangaroo Court was when the provos subjected victims of sexual abuse to paramilitary courts
@Incognito: Hypocrite of the highest order that’s what.
@Dermo Adams: who are u referring to?
and some people wonder why the Shinners have 13% of the vote. This hypocrisy might work in Norn Iron but not down here sunshine
@Dave Sherman:
So all that is needed is for SF to be accused of something and everyone else can join in and do the same !!!.. I don’t think so Dave.
@Dave Sherman: will u cut that out Jerry said it never happened
@Dave Sherman: is it just me or do all SF representatives look like older toerags
@Dave Sherman:
I agree with you completely !!!!!!
as a very long time member of
Sinn Fèin I shall not be renewing
my membership because of the intimidation and bullying I have
Witnessed at grass roots level
Even from yourself Peadar. !!!!!!!
@Dave Sherman: Their Ard Fheis is coming up this weekend, Have to have something to Deflect the Sheep’s Attention from the widespread Bullying, Harassment and Intimidation going on around them and the fact that the partys vote ( in last few opinion polls ) is going down, down and down .. lol ..
@For Connolly: Was ‘sunshine’ a Pink Floyd reference?
SF giving a moral lecture on bullying is a bit like bank executives giving a lecture on always putting the customer first…..Thoes with mortgage difficulties….
PMSL! Same way they like to think they’re a bunch of peacemakers
@Diarmuid: hilarious! Forgot to check the calendar, is today the first day of April?
@Diarmuid: Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Loser.
@Diarmuid: I did. Unless he’s calling out the widely reported culture of bullying in SF, he’s a bland hypocrite. Much like SF going public on wanting to sell easter lillies on the same day their abject failure in makey uppey government was highlighted.
@Diarmuid: “bringing it into talks” – suppose someone needed to represent that terrorist organisation while it was surrendering and handing over its weapons. Lucky for Jorry he got cushy British public sector jobs out of it.
Diarmuid – have you been possessed by a evil ghost?
@Diarmuid: The new Diarmuid is Dermo Adams. If he wants to troll he shouldn’t verbatim his comments from this mornings defence of Gerry Adams.
@Diarmuid: He brought about peace by stopping killing people. Bravo…….slow handclap.
@Honeybadger197: the Risen must have been banned…… must hurt the poor fella.
@Diarmuid:
I see what you did there. Checkmate & Bravo!
Im more interested to know why Journal has refused to report his comments on 8th Amendment Committee……
@Paul: what comments? Care to elaborate? Genuinely curiosity.
@Paul: Afraid of a kneecapping?
They haven’t gone away you know!
@Geffrey Kane: he has called out the committee been pro abortion. SF have said his comments do not represent party position.
@Paul: “he has called out the committee been pro abortion”
Eh?
@Paul: “being”
@Paul: “being” Of course they don’t represent the party position – they’re still pro-killing children in their mother’s wombs, much the same as ISIS philosophy really.
A SF TD lecturing on bullying and harassment. I have heard it all. Have they no shame or integrity.
I don’t support SF but I’m unconvinced that the problem of bullying and harassment in Ireland is exclusively confined to the SF Party.
Lol these Shinners are a funny bunch
Start with your own party peadar,clean it up.until then sf have no credibility on the issue.
Interesting, a senior SF td condemning bullying… they must be trying to deflect from their own issues
Peadar Toibin wishes to harrass and bully women who aren’t antichoice like him.
Has Peadar got a soundbite in the widely reported culture of bullying in his own party? This must be like SF announcing Easter Lily sales on the same day the utter failure of their pretend governance of the North is exposed.
@CloneDiarmuid: just like the shinners? : )
A bit rich coming from him of all people. Fully appreciate that the Arts & Heritage sector has a major sexual harassment issue. But really, this is fake indignation from an anti-choice zealot who thinks women’s lives are no more important than the content of a discarded condom. He couldn’t give a toss, so to speak, about women’s rights.
@Emo101: you mean not pro–death for defenceless babies. Shinners may have stopped killing grown-ups but innocent children are still fair game for slaughter as far as they’re concerned.
@JMac: If you can’t tell the difference between an actual baby and sperm, read a biology book, not TheJournal.
Special Communications Unit Mobilisation!
Incoming!
@Jarlath Murphy: Yeah don’t think you need a SCU to call out utter SF hypocrisy.
How many SF Councillors is that to have resigned or been sacked due to bullying now?
What a dufus!
The calibre of shinner politician is farcical.
the impersonating shinner bot who was banned a few years back?
@We’re Jammin’: Yeah I was trolled by a shinner bot with the same name in the past. Thankfully he/she was banned. Why do you care Diarmuid?
Hi everyone,
Please ignore the clone account above. As you can see from the ’5Y’ (5 year contributor) symbol under my name, this is the original.
I will be reporting the above account in the morning.
Best wishes
WJ
@We’re Jammin’: looks like one of the guilty shinner bots is back ^
Any idea how a different photo and proper grammar on a Bob Marley song is a clone?
PMSL!
@were jammin: so you have we’re jamming, For Connolly, the Risen and Francis McCarthy? How do you keep up?
@Jane: sorry were jammin
@were jammin: It really is disrespectful to contributors who just want to comment and discuss the actual article above.
@Jane: You’re fine Jane. It’s easy to get mixed up with the abuses of posting privileges that are happening around these parts all too often.
@Jane: me thinks the “Risen” was banned.
Pfizer took an action for copyright infringement : )
ah I get it now – Jammin’s “Risen” was banned so he set up clone accounts to troll Diarmuid, but is offended by supposed clone accounts
trying to be a bully on an article about shinner bullying : )
confused little shinner : )
@For Connolly: when you see ‘good lad’ you’ll know it’s him
@Diarmuid: a clone account angry about clone accounts PMSL : )
Silly little shinner : )
Good lad : )
Somebody really needs to put some sort of filter on this site to prevent children from posting.
No bullying in Sinn Fein If this is all you have to speak on you are overpaid for doing nothing but making a fool of yourself
The words “Deflection and Distraction” comes to mind … Also the expression “Titanium Bulletproof Necks” also comes to mind with any reps from Gerry Adams party accusing others of Bullying or Intimidation/Harassment … Concentrate on sorting out their own house first, before trying to Deflect peoples attention towards other peoples houses …
People in glasshouses should not fire stones ,i am against all forms of bullying ,be it political ,social or economic .
he’s a looker.
You have to wonder about people who attack Sinn Féin (no I am not a member), rather than address the serious issue Deputy Tobín aided. They seem to be like the judges who give suspended or lenient sentences to men who beat and brutalise women….. a very disturbing mindset
Why is an intelligent and talented man like Peadar focusing on such relatively trivial nonsense?
Sinn Fein need to get off the hard left Utopian bandwagon and become more pragmatic and inclusive….
There are similar issues of abuse of power in other state-funded bodies, such as within the health service. I find this very disappointing in this day and age. You’d think we’d have learned from all of the past cover-ups in this country.
have your say