Right to vote

To vote in any election and referendum, you must be entitled to vote. Your entitlement is based on your nationality, and there are rules about the nationalities that are allowed to vote in elections and referendums in Ireland.

You must also 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 because of your nationality, you cannot vote unless you are registered on the Register of Electors. You can check the register to see if you are registered. See our document ‘Registering to vote’ for more information.

This page explains who is eligible to vote in:

• Elections to the Dáil – the Lower House of the Oireachtas, or national parliament (called general elections)
• Elections to the Seanad - the Upper House of the Oireachtas
• Elections to the European Parliament
• Local elections
• Presidential elections
• Referendums

If your citizenship changes, you should update your details on the Register of Electors.

Irish citizens can vote in:

• General elections
• European elections
• Local elections
• Presidential elections
• Referendums

You must be aged 18 years or over, and registered to vote. You cannot register to vote if you live outside Ireland, although there are some exceptions.

Seanad elections

To vote in Seanad elections, you must be an Irish citizen who is:

• A graduate of the National University of Ireland (or an NUI recognised college) or
• 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.

British citizens who live in Ireland can vote in:

• General elections
• Local elections

British citizens are identified by the letter 'D' on the Register of Electors.

Citizens of the EU who live in Ireland can vote in:

• European elections
• Local elections

If you are an EU citizen, other than an Irish citizen, and you were not registered to vote in previous European elections in Ireland, you must also complete a declaration on form EP1 (available from your local authority). This is to guard against double voting in European elections. The local authority will send the information in your declaration to your country of nationality.

You must be registered at one address only. If you move away from the address at which you are registered, you will need to contact the local authority and give them your new address.

If you leave your address but you plan to return there within 18 months, you can continue to be registered there, as long you do not register at any other address.

EU citizens are identified by the letter ‘E’ on the Register of Electors.

Citizens from outside the European Union can vote in:

• Local elections

You can vote in a local election if you are a non-EU citizen, regardless of the type of residence you hold, or if you are seeking asylum and have not had a decision on your application.

Non-EU citizens are identified by the letter 'L' on the Register of Electors.

If your citizenship changes, you should update your details on the Register of Electors.

If you become an Irish citizen, and you are already registered to vote, you should complete form ERF1 to add your new citizenship details to the Register of Electors. You will need to supply proof that you are now an Irish citizen (either a copy of your naturalisation certificate, or a copy of the photo page of your Irish passport).

You can contact your local authority, or the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.