WITH the Taoiseach confirming the date of the general election, and politicians hitting the pavement, campaigning is well underway.
Taoiseach Simon Harris revealed yesterday evening that the general election will take place on Friday November 29 – meaning the kids will soon get a day off school.
He said: “There’s important work to be carried out in the Dail and the Seanad today and tomorrow.
“It’s my intention then to seek a dissolution of the Dail by President Higgins on Friday.
“As I would have discussed with the other coalition leaders, it’s my hope that we will have a polling day in this country on November 29.
“I’m looking forward to the weeks ahead and asking the people of Ireland for a mandate.”
Here’s everything you need to know about getting registered and voting in a General Election– including how to avoid spoiling your vote.
WHAT IS A GENERAL ELECTION?
A General Election is held in Ireland at least every five years in order to vote for who will represent the Irish public in Dail Eireann.
As Ireland is a parliamentary democracy, voting must be held in order for to collectively choose who will represent people in Government and what parties will form the Government.
In a General Election, the public votes for members of Dail Eireann who go on to become Teachta Dala – TDs.
WHEN ARE GENERAL ELECTIONS HELD?
According to the Irish Constitution – a General Election must be held every five years and cannot go on for longer than five years.
However, the Dail can be ‘dissolved’ at any time to call an early or snap election.
The President is responsible for dissolving the Dail and this process usually takes place on the advice of the Taoiseach.
The President can only refuse to dissolve the Dail if the government does not have a majority of TDs in the Dail.
A General Election can also be called if the Taoiseach or Government lose a vote of no confidence.
Or in the instance where a coalition party – the smaller party that joins with larger parties to form a government – withdraws its support for those in government.
This is called a dissolution and a general election must take place within 30 days of the dissolution of the Dail.
Once the Dail is dissolved a polling day must be set by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government – the role currently held by Fianna Fail TD Darragh O’Brien.
WHEN IS THE GENERAL ELECTION EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE?
Taoiseach Simon Harris confirmed yesterday on RTE’s Six One News that the General Election is expected to take place on Friday, November 29.
The Fine Gael leader revealed he will seek a dissolution of the Dail by President Michael D Higgins on Friday.
On November 5, the Dail passed the Finance Bill by a margin of 75 to 55, paving the way for the election to be called.
Mr Harris had previously said this was the key objective as it was one of the last pieces of legislation that must be passed before the Taoiseach seeks the dissolution of the Dail.
Tanaiste and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin had previously said there are two possible election dates, Friday November 29 or Friday December 6.
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman had said November 29 was his preferred date.
WILL SCHOOLS CLOSE ON ELECTION DAY?
Irish schools which function as polling stations will be closed on the selected date.
A polling station in Ireland must be open for 12 hours, meaning schools that are used as polling stations will be closed for the entire day.
Schools have already shut twice in 2024 to facilitate use as polling stations.
The first was on March 8 for the referendums on Family and Care.
The second time was on June 7 for the local and European elections.
ANY CHANGES IN THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION?
On the back of an Electoral Commission review published in 2023, there will be 14 new seats up for grabs and four new constituencies introduced in the next General Election.
There will be 174 TDs elected in the upcoming election, and the country’s voting blocks will be split into 43 constituencies instead of 39.
WHO CAN RUN IN A GENERAL ELECTION?
To run as a candidate in a General Election and be in with a chance of being voted in as a TD you must meet a number of requirements.
Candidates must be a citizen of Ireland and over 21 years of age – to run for a political party you must go through your party’s political selection procedure.
To run as an independent candidate you must present your nomination paper to the returning officer in the constituency you wish to run in.
You can nominate yourself for election and you can run in multiple constituencies.
You do not have to own property or live in the constituency you run in.
To register, you must give the returning officer a certificate of party affiliation or statutory declarations signed by 30 constituents or a deposit of €500.
All nomination papers must be submitted by midday on the seventh day after the Clerk of the Dail issues the writ for the General Election.
WHO CAN VOTE IN A GENERAL ELECTION?
In order to vote in a General Election in Ireland you must meet multiple requirements.
Voters must be 18 years or older, a resident in Ireland and registered to vote.
Irish citizens can vote in General Elections as can British citizens who live in Ireland and British citizens are recognised by the letter D on the Register.
EU citizens cannot vote in General Elections in Ireland and neither can non-EU citizens.
HOW DO YOU REGISTER TO VOTE?
Once you are eligible to vote in Ireland and in the upcoming election, you must be registered in order to make it to the ballot and make your vote count.
To register to vote you must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily be a resident at an address in Ireland.
Those who are homeless or have no fixed address can register under the ‘no fixed address’ statement.
You can register to vote online at checktheregister.ie or by filling in an application form.
Registration is open throughout the year if you have your PPS number to hand.
However, if your PPS number is not available to you, you must get your form and ID witnessed at a local garda station.
All applications must be received by your local authority at least 15 days before an election or referendum.
To check if you are registered to vote or update details such as your address, visit checktheregister.ie.
HOW TO VOTE?
After you’re sure you are registered to vote, you will receive a polling card to the address you have registered.
Your polling station will be listed on your polling card – which you should receive by post.
If your polling card has not been received you can find out your polling station on your local authority’s website.
In order to vote you don’t need to bring your polling card, however, you must bring a valid form of identification.
The list of valid forms of ID includes: a passport, drivers license, a workplace identity card (with a photograph), public services card, a student ID card (with picture,) a public services card or a bank or credit union book with your name and address.
If you do not have the above documents to hand, a check book, credit card, birth cert or marriage certificate is also allowed.
When you have presented your ID, the presiding officer will stamp a ballot paper and give it you.
You must bring this ballot paper to the voting compartment at the polling station.
The ballot paper will include the names of the candidates in alphabetical order as well as the political party they are a member of.
A photograph of the candidate or of their political party emblem may also be visible.
It is a secret ballot – meaning you cannot take selfies or post pictures online or you face prosecution.
HOW TO CAST YOUR VOTE?
In order to vote on a ballot in an Irish election, you must indicate your preference of candidates with numbers.
This should start with a one, and you can write the number 1 or word one and it will count, in the box beside the photograph of your first choice candidate.
If you wish to continue, you then vote using a 2 or two for your second choice of candidate and a 3 or three beside your third choice and so on.
This is to allow for your vote to be transferred from your first choice if your number one candidate is eliminated or elected before your vote in counted.
You do not have to go down the entire numbered list if you do not wish to transfer your vote to all election candidates.
You can fill out your ballot in pen or pencil and pencils will be provided.
If you have made a mistake on the ballot the returning officer may give you another ballot paper, however this is at the returning officers discretion.
HOW NOT TO SPOIL ELECTION BALLOT?
Spoiled votes are ballots that can not be counted and votes can be spoiled in number of ways.
This includes if the paper is left blank or if the voter uses tick or check marks rather than numbering their votes.
If the person’s writing is not legible it is considered a spoiled vote.
If there is not a vote for a 1 or one candidate the ballot is considered spoiled.
If your ballot is not stamped by the returning officer it will be spoiled or if the voter has identified themselves on the ballot.
If the order of preference is not clear on a ballot – like writing a three and a two on one candidate – it will be spoiled.
Or if the voter deliberately spoils their vote as a protest.