Are you registered to vote in the referendums

The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) is urging young people to make sure they have registered to vote in time for the upcoming referendums on May 22nd. The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 5th.

A RedC/NYCI poll last autumn found that up to 30% of 18-25 year olds were not on the electoral register.* Based on the most recent data from the Central Statistics Office that would mean up to 4558 young people in County Meath risk missing out on being able to vote. **

James Doorley, NYCI deputy director explained: “We know from our work with young people that the vast majority of them want to vote but are not aware they have to register to vote or only become aware after the deadline for inclusion in the supplementary register. This is particularly an issue for young people who turned 18 and became eligible to vote since the local and European elections in 2014.”

“We know that some local authorities have undertaken campaigns in the media and through house to house visits to ensure as many young people as possible are registered. Likewise, many youth and community organisations have run registration drives to increase the number of young people on the electoral register since our poll last year,” continued Mr Doorley.

Any young person who is 18 years of age on or before the 22nd of May is eligible to vote. If they are not currently registered, they can do so by downloading and filling in the RFA2 form at www.checktheregister.ie. This form must be brought to and stamped at a Garda Station where the applicant is required to bring ID and returned to the local authority before close of business on Tuesday May 5th next.

“With the upcoming bank holiday weekend the latest day for posting the form is effectively Friday 1st May 2015. We strongly encourage young people to register and to go out and vote in the upcoming referendums. It is your democratic right and a great opportunity to have your say in shaping the future of this country,” concluded Mr Doorley.