Leitrim people urged to 'Check the Register'

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcom Noonan, and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, have launched a national awareness campaign to call on everyone to go to checktheregister.ie and make sure they are correctly registered to vote.

The campaign aims to support the ongoing work of local authorities who are engaging with their communities to update the electoral register.

Leitrim County Council, who manage the electoral register for County Leitrim, are gearing up for a busy period ahead, with European and Local elections scheduled for June 2024 and both a General Election and Presidential election required to be held before the end of 2025.

Minister Noonan praised the work of local authorities who have been engaging their communities in recent months:

“Every local authority in the country is working to update the electoral register and to do that, they need your engagement and cooperation – over 120,000 electors around the country have already confirmed or updated their details online but of course we need many more to do so.”

Minister Noonan specifically called on long-time voters to log on to checktheregister.ie, even if they haven’t moved or their circumstances haven’t changed.

“It’s really important that everyone confirms their details on the website. It’s not about whether you have voted before, it’s about letting your Local Authority know that your entry is current and correct, so that they can focus on identifying and, where necessary, removing entries that are out of date or incorrect.

“This helps to protect the integrity of the electoral register for all of us. You can confirm your details on checktheregister.ie by adding your PPSN, date of birth and Eircode.”

Referring to the importance of the electoral register in our democratic processes, Minister O’Brien reminded people that everyone over the age of 18 and living in Ireland is entitled to be on the electoral register and vote in local elections, with citizenship determining eligibility for other electoral events.

Adding his support to the campaign, Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council, Councillor Justin Warnock highlighted the importance of engaging with the campaign.

“I encourage all residents of Leitrim, young and old, and those who have chosen to take up residence in our county recently, to ensure their details are accurate and up to date on the register of electors.

“I make a particular plea to all those long standing voters, who have been on the register for many years in Leitrim and who vote at every election, to engage with Leitrim County Council, by confirming their details are correct and current by adding their PPSN, date of birth and Eircode, all of which helps to protect the accuracy and integrity of the electoral register.”

Persons may also contact the Register of Electors office in Leitrim by phoning 071 9620005 or by emailing registerofelectors@leitrimcoco.ie