COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, February 10, 2014
QUESTION NO. 4
QUESTION: Councillor C. King
To ask the Manager to ensure that any eligible voter that has been housed or re-housed through our scheme of letting priorities over the past three years is on the electoral register in an effort to ensure as many people as possible have the capacity to utilize their franchise?
REPLY:
The Register of Electors 2014/15 was published on 1st February 2014, comes into force on 15th February and is available for checking online at www.checktheregister.ie. and will be distributed to local Post Offices, Libraries and Garda stations in South Dublin's administrative area. The fieldwork for the annual update commenced in June 2013 and door-to-door enquiries were carried out. Information received at the door was used to compile the Draft Register 2014/15. If there was no reply at the door an application form for registration was left at the house for completion by householder.
The Draft Register of Electors was then published on 1st November and was available for checking online at www.checktheregister.ie. It was also circulated to local Post Offices, Libraries and Garda stations in South Dublin's administrative area. Advertisements were placed in the local papers. During the period of 1st November to 25th November members of the public were afforded the opportunity to
a) check whether or not they were on the draft Register
b) amend their information
c) add their details.
Anyone who found that their details were not listed or were incorrectly listed could make a claim to correct the Draft Register by completing an RFA1. The closing date for receipt of claims was 25th November, however late claims were accepted up to 20th December. Claims were considered by the County Registar on 23rd December.
The newly published Register of Electors will be used for any elections/ referendums held during the period 15th February 2014 to 14th February 2015.
At this point if a person finds that they are not on the register they may apply for entry to the Supplement to the Register of Electors. To be included in the supplement, you must be:
(a) 18 years of age (up to and including polling day)
(b) ordinarily resident at the address at which you wish to be registered; and
(c) not already registered as an elector (except in the case of a change of address).
Application for entry onto the supplement is made by completing supplement application RFA2 or RFA3 (change of address) as appropriate. A separate form must be completed and signed by each person applying for inclusion in the supplement. The form must be witnessed, signed and stamped by a member of the Garda Síochána. Supplement application forms are available on our website www.sdcc.ie and online at www.checktheregister.ie. They will also be available in post offices, garda stations, libraries and council offices.
To ensure inclusion in the supplement that will be prepared for the European and Local Elections to be held on 23rd May 2014 the closing date for receipt of completed supplement application forms is 6th May 2014. Applications for inclusion on the supplement to the Postal and Special Voters' list is 26th April 2014.
The objective in compiling the Register of Electors is to ensure that all eligible voters are given an opportunity to participate in the democratic process and a high quality Register of Electors is essential to the successful operations of the electoral system. It must be noted that the responsibility for ensuring the right to vote rests with the individual citizen but every opportunity is given during the compilation of the draft Register and the Supplement before a poll to ensure that potential voters have an opportunity to check that they are on the Register. Data Protection legislation restricts the Council in it's use of personal data obtained from any individual to the specific purpose for which that data was obtained and there is no provision which would allow the Council to use information obtained in its role as a housing authority for electoral registration purposes.