The local election register in Donegal has one of the lowest accuracy indicators in the country, it has been revealed.
A significant number of duplicate or redundant entries exist on the county’s register.
This issue goes back decades with people registered more than once in one or more local authority areas, people who have emigrated and people who have passed away remaining on the registers.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin’s first Oversight Report on Ireland’s Electoral Registers says that it is ‘deeply concerned’ at the legacy accuracy issues on the electoral registers.
Where there are inaccurate registers, it is more difficult to assess voter turnout and to understand the scale of non-registration.
Eleven local authorities across the country have been found to have people on their election register than the population that is eligible to vote.
The eight counties with the lowest accuracy indicators are Sligo, Donegal, Galway County, Cork County, Carlow, Cavan and Mayo.
It’s reported that there could be up to hundreds of thousands of additional names across electoral registers.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin is calling for the issue of accuracy to be addressed.
“Some local authorities have made significant efforts to improve their electoral registers. But this is not the case for the majority,” it said.
“Significant modernisation of the electoral registration system and processes was introduced under the Electoral Reform Act, 2022, changing how and when people can register, and changing the nature of the work of local authority franchise staff. However, there does not appear to have been any review undertaken of the resourcing needed to properly meet these changing requirements.”
Art O’Leary Chief Executive of An Coimisiún Toghcháin stated: “The accuracy and completeness of the electoral registers, as well as how they are managed and maintained, are fundamental to Ireland’s democratic process.
“The issue of accuracy needs resources and increased prioritisation by local authorities in the long term to ensure that the management of our electoral registers is improved.
“Ireland’s voters deserve the strongest and most accurate electoral registers they can have.”
