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Your Vote is Your Voice

Research Programme

Public consultation on the addresses of candidates on ballot papers

An Coimisiún Toghcháin is conducting research on the policy of including candidates’ addresses on the ballot paper. The need to review this policy was raised by a number of respondents to An Coimisiún’s consultation on its research programme and it was also raised in the Report of the Taskforce on Safety in Public Life (2024).

Please read the short consultation document for further context and specific questions and submit your response by Friday 31 January 2025.

If you are responding by email, please send your response to research@electoralcommission.ie.   

If you are responding by post, please address your response to:

Dr. Catherine Lynch

Electoral Integrity and Research,

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Block M Dublin Castle,

Dublin 2 D02 X8X8.

Research Programme 2024-2026

Section 64 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 sets out that An Coimisiún Toghcháin “may commission or conduct research on electoral policy and procedure, including on matters relating to the discharge of its functions…and may, arising from that research, make such recommendations to the Minister and the Government as it considers appropriate.”

It also provides that An Coimisiún Toghcháin prepare an annual Research Programme to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and published.

In light of this, we published our first Draft Research Programme for public consultation in November 2023. A total of 62 submissions were received from members of the public, organisations and relevant stakeholders.

All submissions were carefully considered by An Coimisiún and its Research Advisory Group in finalising the Research Programme which was published and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 10 July 2024. The Research Programme can be viewed below.

View the submissions to the Research Programme public consultation, as well as a summary paper giving a flavour of the contents, themes and proposals therein.

All queries and feedback pertaining to our Research Programme can be sent by email to research@electoralcommission.ie, or by post to Electoral Integrity and Research Unit, An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2, D02 X8X8.

Draft Research Programme

An Coimisiún Toghcháin published its first draft research programme on 10 November 2023 for public consultation. 62 submissions were received.

We were very impressed with the quality of these submissions and they have influenced the approach set out in the final Research Programme which was published and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 10 July.

View the submissions to the Research Programme public consultation, as well as a summary paper giving a flavour of the contents, themes and proposals therein.

Research Advisory Group (RAG)

On 23 February 2024 An Coimisiún Toghcháin announced the establishment of a Research Advisory Group, a diverse and expert group set-up to support An Coimisiún in delivering the research proposed in the draft Research Programme 2024-2026. In the interest of transparency, the minutes of the meetings from 5 March 2024 onward are published below.

Minutes from 5 March 2024 Meeting (Word)Minutes from 5 March 2024 Meeting (PDF)
Minutes from 25 March 2024 Meeting (Word)Minutes from 25 March 2024 Meeting (PDF)
Minutes from 30 September 2024 Meeting (Word)Minutes from 30 September 2024 Meeting (PDF)