Concerns over electoral register deadline

Local authorities have been criticised after it emerged that most city and county council offices would be closed on the final day for voters to apply for inclusion on the supplement to the electoral register.

The closing date for receipt of applications is next Saturday, 24 May.

Only local authority offices in north Tipperary, Louth, Galway city, Mayo and Wexford will be open on that day to accept applications.

The Rock The Vote campaign, which is hoping to increase turnout among first time and young voters, said it was disgraceful that all local authorities were not making staff available to accept applications for the supplemental register at the weekend.

However, the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government says provisions are in place to deal with voters who wish to be placed on the supplement to the register ahead of the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

This afternoon a spokesperson at the Department said that while the formal deadline for completed applications was this Saturday, local authorities had been advised to accept any forms left in postboxes until Monday morning.

The spokesperson said a circular had been sent to all city and county councils advising them to treat any completed forms that were left into offices over the weekend as being received on time.

First time voters wishing to be included on the supplement to the 2008/2009 electoral register must complete the RFA2 Application Form, which can be downloaded from the checktheregister.ie website.

Those who have moved from one electoral area to another should fill in a different form, the RFA3, which is available on the same site.

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