Gormley appoints Friday, 2nd October 2009 as Polling Day at the Lisbon Treaty Referendum

Mr. John Gormley, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, has today (13th July 2009) made an order appointing Friday, 2nd October 2009 as the polling day at the referendum on the proposal for the amendment of the Constitution contained in the Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009. Polling will take place between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The Minister has appointed Mr. Maurice Coughlan, a Principal Officer in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, to be the referendum returning officer for the referendum.

Every person who is an Irish citizen and is included in the 2009/2010 register of electors is entitled to vote at the referendum. Persons not on the register may be eligible to apply for inclusion on the supplement to the register. To be eligible, a person must be a citizen of Ireland, must be 18 years of age by polling day and must be ordinarily resident in the State.

An application form for entry on the supplement to the register, which can be obtained from City/County Councils or downloaded at www.checktheregister.ie, must be witnessed by a member of the Garda Síochána or, if the person cannot attend their local Garda Station, by an official of their City or County Council provided they state the reason why they were unable to attend a Garda station.  If, because of a physical illness or physical disability, a person cannot attend either their local Garda Station or their City or County Council, their application form must be accompanied by a medical certificate. Completed application forms must be with the person*s City/County Council not later than Tuesday, 15th September 2009.                        

Persons who are eligible for, but not already included in, the postal or special voters list, may apply for entry in the supplements to these lists which are published prior to each referendum. These forms can also be obtained from the local City/County Council. The latest date before the referendum for receipt (by City/County Councils) of supplement applications to the postal or special voters lists is 2 days after the polling day order is made i.e. Wednesday, 15th July 2009.

Subjects