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Postal Voting

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 June 2020

Tuesday, 30 June 2020

Ceisteanna (900)

Patricia Ryan

Ceist:

900. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to simplify the process to apply for a postal vote to include persons with a letter from their employer asking that they be accommodated with a postal vote; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13530/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of a number of categories of electors - 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 a physical illness or a physical 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.

An application for a postal vote for electors who are unable to vote at their polling station due to circumstances of occupation, service or employment must be certified by an employer, or in the case of a self-employed person, a statutory declaration, indicating that due to circumstances of their employment they are likely to be unable to go in person on polling day to vote at a polling station.  The application form (PV2) is available from local authorities and on www.checktheregister.ie       

Work is currently ongoing in my Department to modernise the electoral registration process. The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future contains a commitment to complete the modernisation process for voter registration, including through the simplification of forms and the registration process and the development of an online registration option. It also  commits to the establishment of an Electoral Commission which will examine the use of postal voting with a view to expanding its provision.

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