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THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE who registered to vote for an expected general election could be missing from the electoral register if the country goes to the polls by Valentine’s Day.
The problem has been highlighted after it emerged that the updated electoral register does not become valid each year until 15 February.
The issue could affect those who registered to vote in the last year, as well as those who changed the address their polling card is sent to. Both groups will currently appear on a draft electoral register.
The exact number of those currently on the draft register is not known, but it is believed to be in the thousands.
The issue has been raised by Fianna Fáil TD Sean Fleming, who has called for the government to remedy it by passing legislation to bring forward the date the register is updated – which will only be possible if the Dáil is not dissolved before it returns tomorrow.
“If the election happens before 15 February, those people who last September and October put their names on the draft register to come into effect this year will find they won’t have a vote…” he told Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1.
“It’s only and solely because of the date of the election. We’ve never had an election in the middle of February before, when the new register comes into effect.”
Meanwhile his party leader Micheál Martin said: “There was an onus on the Government to clear all that up before they named a date and I’m surprised that they let that situation develop.
“I think thousands of people should be facilitated, who are on the draft register, of being able to vote. We may even have the anomaly of people who voted in the local election but won’t be able to vote in the general election, which is very odd indeed.”
Fleming called on the government to pass a motion to update the register by 1 February, and cautioned against another proposal that individual local authorities could use their discretion to add those on their draft registers to the supplementary register.
He said that this may not be possible because of a legal process which requires gardaí to stamp a form to allow individuals to be placed on the supplementary register.
Members of the public have been urged to check if they are registered to vote by contacting their local authority, and to request to be put on the supplementary register up to 15 days before the date of the election.
Gilmore will be lucky to make it as leader to next years EU and local elections. He’ll certainly be gone after those results. One of the biggest political mistakes made by Gilmore was not backing Shortall in her dispute with Reilly.
The vultures are circling Gilmore, you’re a dead man walking as Lab leader.
Do you not see what’s coming Niall;
we have been treated to the possibility of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, and last sunday the suggestion of Sinn Fein and Fine Gael , they are preparing a fall on the sword for Labour , a big walkout , and then a “In the national interest ” let’s “save Ireland one of the other two coming in to put “manners on big bad Enda !
Anything but an election before they have a “neutral budget ” in 2014 , a “we have turned the corner” budget in 2015 and finally a “Giveaway” budget in 2016. ; Anything but a general election , anything but that , the polls suggest there is too much support for independents at the moment ; Independents won’t be whipped and that which can’t be whipped is no good to the “bond (slavery) market”.
Gilmore is a traitor to the labour party.
And the people who voted labour #SellOut
Eamonn, go foreign for the rest of your life. Preferably Easter Island. Take Brian Cowen with you.
Labour is a traitor to the working class
labour are traitors to the irish people
I listened to the interview at the time, I think he has spent so much time out of the country he really has no idea what’s happening at home.
He knows exactly what is happening. He is one of the architects of it. A quote from the interview: “Yes we will do what is necessary to get our public finances in in good order,” the Táiniste said. What he forgot to add was ‘regardless of the cost’
Feel free to go anytime Eamon ; Syria is looking for a Good foreign Minister ; tuck the ould Nobel Prize under your arm and off you go, they’ll be delighted to see a man of such eloquence, integrity, charm , honesty and downright good guy genes; not to mention such vast experience on the international STAGE coming to their rescue;
Here’s a slogan ;
“Burn the jihadists” ..or “Not a chemical weapon more” ,or indeed “It’s Assad’s way not Washington’s way” .
Go on now; toddle off !
Not only will Labour be wiped out in locals and Europeans but also GE 2015/16
Morgan Kelly wrote in 2011 that the recent GE was mundane and predictable but the 2016 one would be anything but.
FF will not recover sufficiently by 2016 to have any chance of even being a junior coalition partner.
Labour are a spent force and will have between 0 and 7 TDs
SF are still too toxic for FG
None of the newly formed parties seem to be making sufficient inroads to make them a credible force.
All in all, FG must be surveying the destruction of the political landscape and grinning like Cheshire cats. Contemplating the holy grail – a FG majority government.
This will definitely not happen, although FG will still be the largest of the established parties and will form the next govt.
The question is, with whom?
The group nobody seems to count as possible coalition partners are the Technical Group of Independents.
In the 2016 GE independents will get a lot more first preference votes than ever and a lot more transfers too as people become increasingly polarized for one party or disallusioned with all of them. Many will take the first or second seat. If each constituency elected just one independent or new party candidate we’d have 40 in that group. 50+ is not beyond the bounds of possibility. If they achieve that and can unite, the next Taoiseach will be an independent TD.
I think Morgan was correct. The 2016 election will be anything but mundane and predictable
I think Morgan Kelly has only made one incorrect prediction.
After the 2016 election the only option for Government without SF will be for a Grand Coalition of FG & FF.
I don’t see FF and FF getting sufficient numbers to form a grand coalition. Even if they joined right now they’d have just 5 over a majority. I don’t see FF picking up many seats. I do see FG losing quite a few
Freudian slip. *FG and FF
Make the most of it now gilmore! The countdown is on for you to be gone, hopefully for good. One less leech, unfortunately still entitled to a massive pension.
Married to the state trough.
I’d say most Labour members are glad to have him out of the country so they dont have to put up with his bullying whenever they voice an opinion.
I wonder if he will squeeze in a trip to Peru before he gets pushed off the gravy train ?
Is he dying his hair? It looks wile yellow in thon photographical.
Dont trust a word from this trolls mouth.
Listened to O Rourke,fair play to him..gave him a harder time than P.K…dissapointed he didnt grill him on his wifes appointment,and the ongoing salary breaches for advisers etc.!
Could I suggest he move to become head of the Dole queue?
Oh hold on that won’t work; he’s qualified for his Ministerial Pension.
He is not wedded to Foreign Affairs. Let us hpe that he is divorced from Dail Eireann after the next election.
his next move is the dole and the sooner the better
He’s not wedded to reality either it seems
Well piss off Gilmore and give someone else the job ….ur useless .. You sold your soul..
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