Voter eligibility

To vote in any election you must be entitled to vote.

You must be:

• 18 years or over on the day of the vote; and
• Resident in Ireland; and
• Registered to vote.

Even if you are eligible to vote, you cannot vote unless you are registered on the Register of Electors. 

You can vote in a general election if you are:

• An Irish or British citizen resident in Ireland; and
• Aged 18 or over on the day of the election; and
• Registered to vote.

Anyone who is ordinarily resident in the State is entitled to register on the Register of Electors. You do not have to be an Irish citizen to vote in a local election.

To vote in a local election, you must:

• Be over 18 years of age; and
• Live in the local electoral area; and
• Be listed on the Register of Electors.

Every Irish citizen aged 18 and over and on the register of electors can vote in the European election. If you are an Irish citizen but you are living in another EU country you can vote in that country.

If you are from another EU Member State but are living in Ireland you can vote in the European election in Ireland. To do so your name has to be on the register of electors.

If you are an EU citizen but have not registered to vote at a previous European election in Ireland you must apply for registration and complete a statutory declaration form, EP1. The statutory declarations are sent to your home Member State to avoid duplicate voting.

You cannot vote in the European election in more than one constituency or country.

You can vote in a referendum if you are:

• An Irish citizen; and
• On the Register of Electors, the Postal Voter’s List or the Special Voter’s List; and
• 18 years or over on the day of the vote.

To vote in Seanad elections, you must be an Irish citizen who is any one of the following:

• A graduate of the National University of Ireland (or an NUI recognised college)
• A graduate of Trinity College
• A member of Dáil Eireann (a Teachta Dála, or TD)
• An outgoing member of the Seanad
• A member of a county or city council (a councillor)

If you are eligible, you can vote in the NUI and Trinity College constituencies, even if you are resident outside Ireland.

To vote in a presidential election, you must be:

• An Irish citizen; and
• Aged 18 or over; and
• Ordinarily resident in Ireland; and
• Registered to vote.

To vote in the election for the Mayor of Limerick you have to be;

• 18 years’ old; and
• Ordinarily Resident in the State; and
• Registered to Vote within the Limerick City and County Electoral Areas.