Ireland Removes 300,000 Names, Adds 700,000 New Voters to Electoral Register
Ireland removed over 300,000 names from its electoral register in two years, while adding 700,000 new voters. This effort, funded by a €3 million contribution, aims to consolidate 31 separate registers into one database by year-end, improving accuracy by the 2029 General Election.
Over the past two years, Ireland has removed more than 300,000 names from its electoral register to eliminate duplicates and individuals who have emigrated or died. This initiative, overseen by An Coimisiún Toghcháin and funded by the Department of Housing and Local Government, addresses an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 incorrect entries.
Simultaneously, 700,000 new voters have been added, and over 600,000 people have updated their details. Art O'Leary, chief executive of the electoral commission, stated that the current 31 separate registers, which do not communicate, are being consolidated into a single database by year-end. This new system will use PPS numbers to identify duplicates more easily.
The project, funded by a €3 million contribution last year, aims for significant improvements by the next General Election in 2029. Although the target for the single register completion had some slippage due to bye-elections, continuous resourcing will be needed as local authorities will still audit their registers. A May report by An Coimisiún Toghcháin found 11 local authorities had more registered voters than eligible voters.