Here is everything that you need to know.
You may have already heard, but it bears repeating: The deadline to register in the upcoming referendum on the Eighth Amendment is today, Tuesday 8 May.
Those who have not yet registered or are uncertain whether they have are being advised to check their status online. Alternatively, they can also contact their local council for confirmation.
Anyone who has not yet completed their registration will be unable to vote in the referendum on whether or not to repeal the Eighth Amendment, Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution, on Friday, 25 May.
If you haven’t yet registered, here’s what you have to do and you have to do it today.
Here is what you need to know:
- All voters must be 18 years or older and must carry a valid passport or ID.
- Anybody who will turn 18 years of age on, or prior to 25 May is eligible to vote.
- Anybody who is not yet registered can do so by filling in Form RFA2.
- Anybody who wants to change their registered address should fill in RFA2.
- Anybody who has become an Irish citizen, but who has already registered to vote in other Irish elections should fill in RFA 5.
- Anybody who is unable to visit their polling station due to physical illness or disability can apply for inclusion in the Supplement to the Postal Voters List by filling in PVS1.
- Similarly, for those who are unable to vote at their polling station due to circumstances of occupation (including certain students), they can fill out PVS2.
On Friday, the Union of Students announced that almost 27,000 students had registered to vote with approximately 8,000 of these having done so in the previous three weeks.
This news came following an urgent reminder issued by the National Youth Council of Ireland that upwards of 151,000 young people were not recorded as having registered based on figures from both the Central Statistics Office and a November 2017 Red C Poll.
One of the key concerns surrounding unregistered young voters was the fact that approximately 60,000 people who turned 18 in the past 12 months may not have completed the process.
For more information and to check if you are registered, visit checktheregister.ie.
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