Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 December 2023
448. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will extend the right to a postal vote to voters that will be in late stage of pregnancy (or early stage after birth) in time for the upcoming referenda on care and definition of the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55258/23]
View answerElectoral law provides for postal voting for a number of different categories of people including the following - whole-time members of the Defence Forces, members of An Garda Síochána, Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses/civil partners, electors living at home who are unable to vote because of an illness or a disability, electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day, full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State, prisoners and certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside.
In addition, Section 93 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 provides for anonymous registration and a postal vote where a person’s safety (or a member of their household) may be compromised by publication of their details on the electoral register. Where a person is registered as an anonymous voter, that person is only able to vote by post.
Furthermore, the Electoral Reform Act 2022 provided for a wide-ranging modernisation of our electoral structures and processes, including significant changes to postal voting arrangements. Under the provisions of Part 3 of the Act, the introduction of a rolling electoral registration process (in contrast to the former annual registration process) means that people can register or update their registration details, including postal voting applications, at any time of year up to the usual deadlines in advance of an electoral event.
The Act also provided for the extension of existing postal voting facilities to persons with mental health difficulties that were previously only available to persons with physical health difficulties. The voter’s certifying medical practitioner no longer needs to provide the nature of their illness or disability but can indicate an expected duration, which the registration authority will have regard to when assigning a postal voting arrangement. This means that for those postal voters with longer term or ongoing issues, annual renewal will not be required.
The Electoral Reform Act 2022 included provisions for the establishment of an independent, statutory Electoral Commission, entitled An Coimisiún Toghcháin. An Coimisiún has been given a new research, advisory and public information function, which will see it carry out research on electoral policy and procedure. An Coimisiún is also empowered to advise and make recommendations to the Minister and the Government in relation to any proposals for legislative change, or any other policy matters concerning electoral and legislative proposals.
The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future contains a commitment to examine the use of postal voting, with a view to expanding its provision. In support of this commitment I wrote to An Coimisiún in July, and outlined a number of issues that An Coimisiún might include in its initial research programme, including the commitment in the Programme for Government relating to postal voting. An Coimisiún’s draft research programme, published on 10 November 2023, includes a proposal to examine the issue of postal voting. An Coimisiún is seeking submissions (until 12 January 2024) on its draft research programme. I will review this policy area once An Coimisiún has considered and made recommendations on the issue.
