Out of country on referendum date - postal vote?

Risteard

Hey,

I just have a question on postal votes.

I'll be working abroad for about 6 weeks from the start of May and won't be home for the referendum.

I'm not too sure on the dates for a postal vote.

Anything I look up seems to relate to last year. Does anyone know how I would go about registering for a postal vote and how I would cast my vote?

Thanks.

tom_k

Risteard wrote: »

Hey,

I just have a question on postal votes.

I'll be working abroad for about 6 weeks from the start of May and won't be home for the referendum.

I'm not too sure on the dates for a postal vote.

Anything I look up seems to relate to last year. Does anyone know how I would go about registering for a postal vote and how I would cast my vote?

Thanks.

Hi Risteard,

Have a look at this, you may qualify to be added to the supplement to the postal voters list. If so, ask your local authority for an application form ASAP.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/elections_and_referenda/voting/registering_to_vote.html#leb892

expectationlost

Risteard wrote: »

Hey,

I just have a question on postal votes.

I'll be working abroad for about 6 weeks from the start of May and won't be home for the referendum.

I'm not too sure on the dates for a postal vote.

Anything I look up seems to relate to last year. Does anyone know how I would go about registering for a postal vote and how I would cast my vote?

Thanks.

deadline is april 25th form is psv2 eg http://www.meath.ie/CountyCouncil/ElectionsVotingInformation/ElectoralRegister/ElectoralRegisterForms/File,57434,en.pdf need to get employer to fill it out and return it to the council

Risteard

Thanks lads. Should be able to get that sorted out this week.

vicwatson

Why is it if you are on a pre planned holiday you cannot get a vote?

seamus

vicwatson wrote: »

Why is it if you are on a pre planned holiday you cannot get a vote?

Administrative difficulty of it most likely.

The purpose of the postal vote is allow people to vote where their absence from the country is out of necessity or they are physically incapable of making it to a polling station. Working abroad is a necessity. Going on holiday is not.

If you were to open it up for people who are going abroad, then what about people who will be in a different county on the day, at a wedding? Or working a twelve-hour shift and will be too tired to make it to the polling station?

It's opening up a whole avenue of annoyance and overhead. The qualifying line is "circumstances beyond my control mean that I cannot practically make it to my polling station on the day". So holidays fall short of this test.