·        Update on migration to Voter.ie

Director of Services, Ms. Caitlín Conneely, introduced a presentation on the implementation of Voter.ie, the new national electoral registration system established under the Electoral Reform Act 2022. She advised that this represents the most significant reform of electoral registration in recent years.

Administrative Officer, Ms. Karen Hanley, informed Members that the new system modernises the voter registration process through online applications, stronger identity verification measures, pre-registration for 16 and 17-year-olds, and the creation of a single national electoral registration platform.

Ms. Hanley outlined the significant preparatory work undertaken by staff since January 2025 including extensive data cleansing, the removal of duplicate and deceased electors, and the standardisation of address and polling information.

Registration activity in 2025 resulted in 1,455 new electors being added to the register, 1,133 elector records being updated, and 2,253 records being removed as part of ongoing data quality improvements.

Ms. Hanley also noted the range of voter registration awareness initiatives carried out across the county, including school registration events, fieldworker engagement, library information days, direct communications and social media campaigns.

She advised that Roscommon successfully migrated to Voter.ie in July 2026 as part of the national rollout programme. The new system provides improved services for voters, enhanced data quality controls for local authorities, and more accurate and consistent electoral registers.

It was noted that the focus will now be on maintaining register accuracy, supporting ongoing voter registration activity, and continuing public awareness campaigns to promote the new Voter.ie platform.

Members thanked Ms. Hanley for the comprehensive presentation and raised a number of queries and observations, including:

·         The significant improvements delivered by the new system.

·         Complements to all staff involved for the significant amount of work undertaken.

·         Whether the electoral register could be linked to death registration records to prevent polling cards being issued to deceased persons.

·         Clarification on registration deadlines in advance of electoral events.

·         Concerns regarding inaccurate address information on the register.

·         The reasons for the high number of elector records removed during the update process.

·         Whether there was potential for collaboration between the electoral register and An Post Geo Directory.

·         Whether the new system would make first-time voter registration easier.

·         Whether the introduction of Voter.ie could lead to electronic voting in the future.

In response, Ms. Hanley advised that:

·         The system is linked to death registration data to identify potential deceased electors; however, all removals must be verified by staff.

·         Registration deadlines in advance of electoral events are determined nationally and will apply across all local authorities.

·         Register accuracy is monitored on an ongoing basis, and electors are encouraged to keep their details up to date.

·         The high number of records removed reflects the extensive data cleansing undertaken prior to migration, including the removal of duplicate and deceased records.

·         Electoral register data may only be used for electoral purposes, and the local authority has no authority to require data-sharing arrangements with external organisations.

·         The new system simplifies voter registration while retaining paper-based application options.

·         Electronic voting is a national policy matter and is outside the remit of the local authority.