Kilkenny TD unveils new plan to make it much easier to vote
Kilkenny TD and Government minister John Paul Phelan today unveiled a series of new proposals to modernise Ireland’s voter registration system.
The Ferrybank resident, who is also Minister for Local Government and Electoral Reform, said the new measures about making the registration process “more user-friendly and similar to the way people interact with other State services”.
Under the reforms:
*Voter forms and and registration process will be simpified and made more user friendly;
*Legislative proposals will be developed to ensure there is a rolling or continuously updated electoral register;
*Voters will be able to register online, but will still have the option of registering with paper forms;
*Individual registration will replace the household registration process;
*A single national electoral register database with unique identifiers will be created;
*There will be a move to a system of identity verification using voters’ PPSN;
*A commitment will be given to limit the amout of data shared between public bodies and electoral registration authorities (local authorities) “to maintain accuracy and comprehensiveness”.
Minister Phelan (pictured above with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar) said officials in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government are currently preparing an outline of proposed legislation to implement the new reforms.
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said he hopes to bring the new electoral reforms to the Government “in early 2020”, but did not give an exact timeframe.
To see the full report, log on to: http://www.registerreform.gov.ie
