Longford County Council is calling on voters and potential voters to engage with the latest ‘Check the Register’ campaign. The campaign aims to encourage everyone, including those already registered to vote, to log on to checktheregister.ie and either confirm or update their details.
In a year when there is a referendum promised and less than 12 months before local and European elections, Longford County Council is undertaking a substantial body of work over the summer months to update the electoral register and further improve its accuracy, but it can only be done with the support of voters and potential voters.
Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Colm Murray welcomed the campaign saying, “it has never been easier or quicker for people to register to vote or update their details, or simply let their local authority know that their details are current and correct by adding their PPSN and date of birth, so I’m delighted to be able to encourage everyone to do that today.”
Chief Executive Paddy Mahon added, “this is about supporting people to participate in their democracy and vote. It’s a more accessible, flexible, and modern registration system that’s simple and straightforward to use.”
A national campaign is being rolled out on broadcast, outdoor and digital channels while Longford County Council is also undertaking local initiatives to encourage people to get their details up to date in advance of voting opportunities in the year ahead.
Representatives of Longford County Councill will be attending a number of local events over the summer months including, among others, Traveller Pride Family Day in Connolly Barracks this weekend (8 July) and Granard Agricultural Show on 15 July. Employees will be available at these events to either demonstrate the process or help people update their own details there and then if they wish. These events are part of Longford County Council’s awareness campaign in line with the national publicity campaign.
Longford County Council is also highlighting some changes that have been made to polling station locations in the county. A new polling station will operate at Slashers GAA Club, Farneyhoogan and the Teagasc Offices in Longford Town will no longer be used. Many voters across the greater Longford Town area may be voting at a different polling station as a result of this change and people are encouraged to check this detail when they log on to checktheregister.ie.
The Check the Register campaign has been initiated by the Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD who said, “even if we’re already on the register, we all have a part to play and we can do this by checking and either confirming or updating our information. Adding details including date of birth and PPSN allows local authorities to cross-check and confirm the information provided by each person, adding to the integrity of the process.”
“We can also let local authorities know about other changes needed, for example in relation to family members who are deceased and still on the register. I think we all know that it can be upsetting to receive a polling card for a loved one who is no longer with us.”
A national campaign run in November yielded over 76,000 applications through the Check the Register website. It’s now hoped that the simplicity of the process will see significant numbers of people confirming or updating their information in the run up to the next potential voting opportunity.
Source: Longford County Council
