Voter Registration Handbook

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National Voter Registration Day23rd of April, 2015

Key aim of the campaign • SpunOut.ie and the Union of Students in Ireland have come together to try and

register as many young people as possible, between the ages of 18 and 25, to vote, before the register of election deadline of the 5th of May 2015.

• Overall the aim is to ensure that more young people are engaged with shaping the future of the country by using their vote to create change.

What you need to do?

Before National Voter Registration Day : r Make sure to read through the pack and get familiar with it’s contents. r Print out enough forms for your target. r If you’re getting people registered to vote in your workplace or a specific venue,

make sure to ask permission and think of a good spot or time to get people signed up.

r Get your hands on a few pens!

On National Voter Registration Day

• Make sure you set aside enough time when others will be around • Get online and let people know what you’re doing

ú Facebook Post: “Hey guys, today is National Voter Registration Day, I’ll be in XXXX Place today between x.xx and x.xx, drop by and get signed up. If you can’t then visit www.spunout.ie/vote for more information

ú Tweets: ú It’s #voterregday. Get yourself registered to vote and encourage

others too! Just visit www.spunout.ie/vote @TheUSI @SpunOut ú With #MarRef and #PresRef only weeks away, make sure to

get registered to vote by the 5th of May www.spunout.ie/vote #voterregday

• Decide how many people you want to sign up and work towards that goal ú 10 family and friends ú All the people in your workplace ú 25 people on your college campus ú Set your own goal and work towards it

• Get forms in people’s hands • Some people may not be registered to vote, others may already be registered,

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and others may be registered at an old address ú For New Voters – use the RFA2 Form (Appendix 1) ú For Voter Changing Address – RFA3 Form (Appendix 2)

• The person registering to vote/changing details needs to get the form stamped by at a garda station and then send off the form to their local authority (see below infographic)

• Get people signed up for text reminders, just print off the sheet, get people’s details and boom! You can either email us a picture of it or send it back in the post to us – john@spunout.ie or postal up above.

Ideas

In Work • Get the forms out during lunch or break time, hold a lunch meeting or add it into

the daily meeting (if you have one). Hand out forms at the start of the day and collect them at the end of the day.

In College • Get a team together, link in with your student unions and get about campus. Set

yourself a target and work towards it. Target people on lunch and when they’re not rushing to lectures.

• With Family and Friends • If you’re out for the evening with friends, pack the forms in your bag. Drop them a

message or email with the details and get them to fill in and drop it back. Online• Get on Facebook and Twitter and post up pictures and selfies of why you’re

getting registered to vote. Maybe post a picture of your form or a selfie where you’ve written down why you’re voting on a piece of paper. Don’t forget the #voterregday hashtag and directing people to www.spunout.ie/vote

Full sized poster attached at end of this document.

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Questions that you may be asked

I’m not sure if I’m registered • It’s easy to check – just go onto www.checktheregister.ie. If in doubt just fill in a

form anyway. You may have been registered before in another address, if this is the case you can simply change your address using the RFA 3 form (attached).

I don’t know what the votes are going to be about or when they’re on• This year, on the 22nd of May, you will be asked to vote on whether two people of

the same sex should be allowed to get married, and on whether the age at which a candidate can be eligible to run for president should be changed from 35 to 21. Find out more impartial information at www.refcom2015.ie

I think that I’m registered already• That’s ok, we can get you signed up to our text reminder scheme so that you can

be sure to know when votes are coming up and when to get down to the polling station.

Who are SpunOut.ie and the USI? • SpunOut.ie is a charity and Ireland’s youth information website. It aims to ensure

young people have access to the information they need to live happy and healthy lives.

• USI (Union of Students Ireland) is the national representative body for students in Ireland. They run campaigns and advocate on behalf of students.

Documents Attached

1. New Voter Registration Form (RFA 2) – use this for people who’ve never been signed up before.

2. Change of Address Form – use this for people who have been registered to vote but aren’t in their old address.

3. Poster Explainer on how to register to vote

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DocumentNew Voter Registration

(RFA 2)

Application for inclusion in Supplement to 2015/2016 Register of Electors

Please Read The Notes Carefully Before Completing The Form

1. Name (BLOCK LETTERS): _______________________________________________________________ [Please include other details such as Snr., Jnr., other name or an initial if there is another person with the same

first name and surname living at the same address] 2. Address (BLOCK LETTERS): _____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Daytime phone number: ____________________________________________________________________

4. Date of birth (see note 3): ___________________________________________________________________

5. When did you take up ordinary residence at the above address? _____________________________________

6. Where were you ordinarily resident immediately prior to your current address? ________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

7. If you were ordinarily resident at any other address(es) since 1

st September 2014 (besides those given at 2 and

6), please give details: ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Please tick ( ) one box only to indicate whether you are:

a Citizen of Ireland a British citizen

a National of another EU State

(other than UK)

a National of a non-EU country

9. (a) Please tick ( ) one box only to indicate whether you are/were:

formerly registered as an elector

currently registered as an elector

never registered as an elector

(b) If you are/were registered as an elector, please state address of registration: ________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

10. Edited Register

If you wish to be excluded from the edited register, please tick ( ) the opt out box below (see note 5).

Opt Out Box

____________________________________________________________________________

RFA2

11. Declaration This section must be signed in the presence of a member of the Garda Síochána at your local Garda Station

(section 12(a) - note 6) or in the presence of a Registration Authority Official (section 12(b) – note 6).

I believe the information I have supplied to be true and I apply to be included in the Supplement to the

Register of Electors.

Signature of Applicant: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________

12. Certificate of Identity

(a) Please have this section completed at a Garda Station by a member of the Garda Síochána - see note 6.

I certify that I have satisfied myself as to the identity of the applicant who has signed section 11 in my

presence or I certify that I have satisfied myself that the applicant who has signed section 11 in my presence is

known to the immigration authorities in Ireland as:

________________________ (first name) ________________________________(surname)

Signature of Garda: _________________________________________

Name (BLOCK LETTERS): ________________________________

Rank: _____________________ Garda Number: _________________

Telephone:_____________________ Date: _____________________

Station Stamp

(b) Please have this section completed ONLY if you are unable to comply with 12(a) above.

Reason why form could not be completed at local Garda Station:-

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Signature of Registration Authority official: _____________________

Name: (BLOCK LETTERS):________________________________

Grade: _____________________ Date: ___________________

Registration Authority

Stamp

(c) Please have this section completed by a medical practitioner ONLY if you are unable to comply with

12(a) or 12(b) above due to physical illness or physical disability.

Medical Certificate

Nature and extent of physical illness or physical disability: ___________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Expected duration of illness or disability: ______________________________________________

Signature of Registered Medical Practitioner: ___________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________________________________

Date: ______________________________________________________________

Notes

PLEASE READ THE NOTES CAREFULLY BEFORE COMPLETING THE FORM

Application for entry to the Supplement to the 2015/2016 Register of Electors

1. If you are qualified as an elector and your name is not on the 2015/2016 register of electors, you may

use this form to apply to be included in a supplement to the register. Eligible electors whose names are

included in the supplement will be entitled to vote at an election or referendum held during the lifetime

of the register.

2. To be included in the supplement, you must be:

(a) 18 years of age (see note 3);

(b) ordinarily resident at the address at which you wish to be registered; and

(c) not already registered as an elector (except in the case of a change of address - see 10 below).

3. In relation to 2(a) above, a person will be eligible for entry in the supplement to the register on or after

the day on which the person reaches eighteen years of age including such day that falls within the period

beginning on the last day for the receipt of applications and ending on polling day. It would be of

assistance in considering an application from a person reaching 18 years if the form is accompanied by a

copy of a birth certificate or similar document.

4. A separate form must be completed and signed by each person applying for inclusion in the supplement.

The form must be sent or delivered by the applicant directly to the registration authority. To avoid

delay in processing your application, make sure to complete the form fully and return it by post or

deliver it to the City or County Council for the area in which you live.

5. Two versions of the register

Since 2004, registration authorities are required to publish two versions of the register - the full

register and the edited register.

The full register lists everyone who is entitled to vote and can only be used for an electoral or other

statutory purpose.

The edited register contains the names and addresses of persons whose details can be used for a

purpose other than an electoral or other statutory purpose e.g. for direct marketing use by a commercial

or other organisation. If you do not want your details to be included on the edited register, you should

tick () the opt out box at section 10 of the form. If you want your registration details to be included

(i.e. available for non-statutory uses), you should leave the opt out box blank.

6. Declaration/Certificate of Identity (a) The declaration at section 11 of the application form must be signed in the presence of a member of

the Garda Síochána at your local Garda station. If the Garda is satisfied as to your identify, they will

sign, date and stamp section 12(a) of the form. If necessary, photographic identification may be

required and you should bring some such identification and other supporting identification to assist

the Garda.

(b) If you are unable to attend your local Garda Station, the form may be witnessed at the offices of the

registration authority and in such cases section 12(b) of the form must be completed. You must

RFA2

state, in writing, why you cannot attend your local Garda Station. Photographic identification and

other supporting identification documentation should be brought to the registration authority.

(c) If you cannot attend your local Garda station or registration authority offices due to physical illness

or physical disability you must have section 12(c) of the form completed by a medical practitioner.

7. If you are applying after an election or referendum has been called, please note that the application must

reach the City or County Council concerned before the fourteenth day (Sundays, public holidays

and Good Friday excluded) before polling day in order to be considered for inclusion in the

supplement for that election or referendum. Late applications will not be processed until after polling

day.

8. You will be notified as quickly as possible of the ruling on your application. Where your application is

refused, you will have the right to appeal against the ruling to the county registrar. The supplement will

be published in the period immediately before the polling day at an election or referendum.

9. It is an offence to fail to give the registration authority or county registrar any information required for

the purpose of their duties or to knowingly give false information.

10. If you are on the register of electors and have moved residence from one Dáil or local authority

constituency to another you may apply for entry to the supplement. Do not use this form: a separate

form is available from your registration authority for this purpose (Form RFA3 – Change of

Address).

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DocumentChange of details form

(RFA 3)

Application for inclusion in Supplement to 2015/2016 Register Of Electors

Change of Address

Please Read The Notes Carefully Before Completing The Form ___________________________________________________________________________________ __

1. Name (BLOCK LETTERS):___________________________________________________________________

[Please include other details such as Snr., Jnr., other name or an initial if there is another person with the same first name and surname

living at the same address].

2. Current address (BLOCK LETTERS): __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Previous Address (BLOCK LETTERS): ________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

4. When did you take up residence at No. 2 above: ___________________________________________________

5. Daytime phone number: _____________________________________________________________________

6. Date of birth: _____________________________________________________________________

7. Please tick () one box only to indicate whether you are:

a Citizen of Ireland A British citizen

a National of another EU State (other than UK)

A National of non-EU country

8. Change of address I hereby authorise (name of registration authority) __________________________City/County Council to delete

my name from the register of electors in respect of the address at (3) above and, where appropriate*, to forward this form to the registration authority for the address indicated at (2) above.

9. Edited Register

If you wish to be excluded from the edited register, please tick ( ) the opt out box below (see note 4).

Opt Out Box

_______________________________________________________________________________________ __

10. Declaration

This section must be signed in the presence of a member of the Garda Síochána at your local Garda Station

(section 11(a) – note 5) or in the presence of a Registration Authority Official (section 11(b) – note 5).

I believe the information I have supplied to be true and I apply to be included in the Supplement to the Register

of Electors as a result of the change of residence indicated above.

Signature of Applicant: _______________________________________________________________________

Date: _____________________________________________________________________________________

*(Where the change of address is being made within the same registration authority area (i.e. from one local electoral area to another or

from one constituency to another in that registration authority area), that authority will make the necessary changes in its Register.)

RFA3

11. Certificate of Identity

(a) Please have this section completed at a Garda Station by a member of the Garda

Síochána - see note 5.

I certify that I have satisfied myself as to the identity of the applicant who has signed section 10 in my presence or I certify that I have satisfied myself that the applicant who has signed section 10 in my presence is known to the immigration authorities in Ireland as:

_____________________ (first name) _____________________________ (surname)

Signature of Garda: _______________________________________

Name (BLOCK LETTERS): _______________________________

Rank: ___________________ Garda Number: __________________

Telephone:___________________ Date: ______________________

Station Stamp

(b) Please have this section completed ONLY if you are unable to comply with 11(a)

above.

Reason why form could not be completed at local Garda Station:-

_____________________________________________________

Signature of Registration Authority official: __________________

___________________________________________________

Name: (BLOCK LETTERS):________________________________

Grade: _____________________ Date: _____________________

Registration Authority

Stamp

(c) Please have this section completed by a medical practitioner ONLY if you are unable

to comply with 11(a) or 11(b) above due to physical illness or physical disability.

Medical Certificate

Nature and extent of physical illness or physical disability: __________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Expected duration of illness or disability: ______________________________________________

Signature of Registered Medical Practitioner: ___________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

Date: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Notes

PLEASE READ THE NOTES CAREFULLY BEFORE COMPLETING THE FORM

Supplement to 2015/2016 Register of Electors

Change of Address

1. A person who is on the register of electors and moves residence from one Dáil or local authority

constituency to another can apply for entry to the supplement at their new address, provided they

have authorised the registration authority to delete their name from the register in respect of their

previous address.

2. To be included in the supplement following a change of address, you must be:

• already on the register in respect of your previous address; and

• ordinarily resident at the address at which you now wish to be registered.

3. A separate form must be completed and signed by each person applying for inclusion in the

supplement as a result of a change of address. To avoid delay in processing your application,

make sure to complete it fully and return it by post or deliver it to the appropriate City or County

Council (see part 8 of the application form)

.

4. Two versions of the Register

Since 2004, registration authorities are required to publish two versions of the Register - the

full register and the edited register.

The full Register lists everyone who is entitled to vote and can only be used for an electoral or

other statutory purpose.

The edited register contains the names and addresses of persons whose details can be used for a

purpose other than an electoral or other statutory purpose e.g. for direct marketing use by a

commercial or other organisation. If you do not want your details to be included on the edited

RFA3

register, you should tick () the opt out box at section 9 of the form. If you want your registration

details to be included (i.e. available for non-statutory uses), you should leave the opt out box blank.

5. Declaration/Certificate of Identity

(a) The declaration at section 10 of the application form must be signed in the presence of a

member of the Garda Síochána at your local Garda Station. If the Garda is satisfied as to

your identify, they will sign, date and stamp section 11(a) of the form. If necessary,

photographic identification may be required and you should bring some such identification

and other supporting identification to assist the Garda.

(b) If you are unable to attend your local Garda Station, the form may be witnessed at the

offices of the Registration Authority and in such cases section 11(b) of the form must be

completed. You must state, in writing, why you cannot attend your local Garda Station.

Photographic identification and other supporting identification documentation should be

brought to the Registration Authority.

(c) If you cannot attend your local Garda Station or Registration Authority Offices due to

physical illness or physical disability you must have section 11(c) of the form completed by

a medical practitioner.

6. If you are applying after an election or referendum has been called, please note that the application

must reach the City or County Council concerned before the fourteenth day (Sundays, public

holidays and Good Friday excluded) before polling day in order to be considered for inclusion in

the supplement for that election or referendum. Late applications will not be processed until after

polling day.

7. You will be notified as quickly as possible of the ruling on your application. Where your application

is refused, you will have the right to appeal against the ruling to the county registrar. The

supplement will be published in the period immediately before the polling day at an election or

referendum.

8. It is an offence to fail to give the registration authority or county registrar any information

required for the purpose of their duties or to knowingly give false information.

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PosterHow to register to vote

Easy steps to get registered for#MarRef & #PresRef

1

Get the right form

2

Print it off andfill it in

3

Go to your localGarda Station

4

Post it to yourlocal authority

First off you should visit checktheregister.ie and get the ‘RFA 2’ form to

register, or the ‘RFA 3’ form to change your address.

Once you have downloaded the form simply fill in your correct details, taking time to ensure you’ve made no

mistakes

Next you simply need to get the forms stamped in your local Garda Station. Don’t

forget to bring some ID with you!

Lastly you need to send the form to the Franchise Department of your local

authority area. Their address is www.environ.ie

Don’t forget to return your forms by the 5th of May. The referendums being held on the 22nd of May 2015.

For more information visit www.spunout.ie/vote