Republican News · Thursday 11 April 2002

New voter registration rules "bureaucratic nightmare"

In another typical legislative sleight-of-hand, the FF/PD government, with the support of Fine Gael and the Labour Party, rushed a new law through the Dáil at the end of March which makes it much more difficult for people not on the current Electoral Register to have their names placed on the Supplementary Register.

Many thousands of people are omitted from the register through errors by the local authorities. Many more are not registered because they were not 18 years or over at the time the register was compiled. These are entitled to go on the Supplementary Register if they are 18 at any time up to and including polling day. Such people are now to be penalised and are required to fulfill conditions that do not apply to other voters.

The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2002, which was rushed through the Oireachtas, means that those people entitled to vote but not on the register can now only have their names added to the Supplementary Register if they complete a nine-question form and have a Certificate of Identity signed, dated and stamped by a garda in a Garda Station. The garda may request photographic identification. The applicant must then present the documentation to their local authority in person or by post.

If the applicant is unable to attend the Garda station, he or she must present in person a written explanation along with their application at the local authority office, where their identity certificate must be verified. People who cannot attend either the Garda station or the local authority must accompany their forms with medical certificates.

Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin described this as a "bureaucratic nightmare":

"Faced with this paper chase, I believe people entitled to be on the register may be deterred from making their application and will lose their right to vote," he said. "Large numbers of people do not possess photographic identification and these regulations may disenfranchise them.

"If the Minister for the Environment and Local Government Noel Dempsey believed that the Supplementary Register was being abused, then he could have introduced a simple regulation whereby all voters on the Supplementary Register would be required to present identification at their polling station. Already, all voters must produce ID if so requested.

"The minister has now placed further obstacles in the way of people exercising their right to vote.

"I would urge people to ensure that they are registered and to claim their right to vote despite these obstacles. The local authorities will assist as will staff at the Sinn Féin offices throughout the 26 Counties."