Young voters in Laois may not be able to vote as it emerged this week that those who have turned 18 and are eligible to vote may not realise that they have to register.
It was also confirmed that voting will take place in the new schools in Portlaoise, a departure from the old arrangement where people voted in schools in the town centre, which are now closed.
Up to 150,000 young people are not registered to vote in this month’s referendum.
There is just under one week to go until the deadline for signing up on Tuesday, May 8.
James Doorley from the National Youth Council of Ireland says it is important for young people to have a voice.
“We know from our work with young people that the vast majority want to vote but not all are aware they have to register,” said Mr Doorley.
“This is particularly an issue among the more than 60,000 young people who turned 18 and became eligible to vote over in the last 12 months.”
The deadline is 8 May to have your forms stamped by your local garda station and returned to the relevant local authority.
You can find out if you’re registered to vote using CheckTheRegister.ie. Contact your local council if your details do not appear but you believe you are registered to vote.
To vote, you must be an Irish citizen over 18. A passport and other forms of ID will suffice when registering and voting.
To register to vote, you need an RFA2 form
To change your address on the register, you need an RFA3 form
If you recently became an Irish citizen but were registered to vote in other Irish elections previously, you need an RFA5 form.
SEE ALSO – Referendum Watch: How Laois voted in 1983 Right to Life Referendum
