10 February 2025 – Do you have a brilliant or simple idea to encourage people to become more engaged with Ireland’s democratic system? If you, or your organisation has ideas then An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission wants to hear from you.

The Electoral Commission has today launched a public consultation to shape the future of how people receive education and information on Ireland’s electoral and democratic processes.

People can make submissions through the Commission’s website (www.electoralcommission.ie/consultation) or by post.

An Coimisiún is building Ireland’s first ever Education and Public Engagement Strategy focused specifically on getting people engaged with our democratic processes.  It has identified four initial areas on which to focus:

Formal education – to engage students in the democratic processes with the aim of encouraging them to register and begin voting as soon as they reach 18.

Adult and Community Education – to reach into this vibrant, passionate and geographically dispersed audience of learners.

Groups experiencing barriers – to improve democratic participation of these groups by helping encourage discussion, remove barriers and provide access to information.

National public engagement – to connect with as wide a spectrum of society as possible but looking at national projects and initiatives to encourage and increase electoral engagement across society.

Art O’Leary, Chief Executive of An Coimisiún Toghcháin said:

“Our objectives are simple, but challenging – everyone who is eligible to vote should be on the electoral register, everyone should know how to vote and how their vote works, and everyone on the register should vote on polling day.

“All of us have an individual voice in our democracy, so it’s important to make sure we get to use it whenever we get the opportunity. We want to hear from you, young or old, whether you have never voted before or vote every time – tell it like it should be!

“Your contribution to our Education Strategy will help us to encourage people to get more involved in our democracy. We want to amplify the good work that is already happening and to provide easy access to education and information so that everyone feels that they belong in our electoral system.”

The consultation runs until Monday 24 March.

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For further information, please contact:

Brian Dawson, Communications and Public Affairs Manager,

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission,

Brian.dawson@electoralcommission.ie / 086 0749344

Editor’s Note:

People can make submissions to the Education and Public Engagement Strategy consultation before the deadline of Monday 24 March at the following links:

• English – www.electoralcommission.ie/consultation
• Irish – www.electoralcommission.ie/ga/comhairliuchan/

Or by post to Education & Public Engagement Strategy, An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2, D02X8X8.

For accessibility and to support the widest possible range of voices, online submissions can be made in writing, via video or audio.

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission

An Coimisiún Toghcháin is a statutory, independent body, established on 9 February 2023 with responsibility for a broad range of electoral functions set out in the Electoral Reform Act 2022. An Coimisiún is central to Ireland’s electoral system, carrying out a range of existing electoral functions, including:

• promoting public awareness of, and working to increase public participation in the State’s electoral and democratic processes through education and information programmes;
• responsibility for the registration of political parties;
• overseeing the modernised Electoral Register, making recommendations and setting standards in relation to its maintenance and updating;
• the regulation of online paid-for political advertising, ensuring transparency in respect of online political advertisements during the period of an election or referendum campaign; (Legislation not yet commenced); and
• responsibility for the investigation and monitoring of online disinformation, online misinformation and manipulative or inauthentic behaviour online during election campaign periods, as well as functions to prevent manipulative or inauthentic behaviours online. (Legislation not yet commenced).

An Coimisiún is also tasked with several new electoral roles, including:

• making reports for the Minister in relation to local electoral boundaries;
• preparing research programmes and conducting research on electoral policy and procedure, and providing advice, as required, to the Minister and Government;
• the preparation of ex-post reports on the administration of electoral events;
• the decision-making, oversight, secretariat and supporting services associated with explaining the subject matter of referendum proposals, the promotion of public awareness of referendums and encouragement of the electorate to vote at referendum polls; and
• the conducting of reviews and making reports in relation to the constituencies for the election of members to the Dáil and the election of members to the European Parliament.

It is anticipated that the initial set of functions assigned to An Coimisiún will be expanded upon as it builds capacity and expertise.