MORE than 4,000 young people could lose out on the opportunity to vote in next month’s referendums.
The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) are now urging young people to make sure they have registered to vote in time for the referendums on May 22nd.
The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 5 and a RedC/NYCI poll has found that up to 30 per cent of 18-25 year olds were not on the electoral register. Based on the most recent data from the Central Statistics Office that would mean up to 4312 young people in County Donegal risk missing out on being able to vote.
James Doorley, NYCI deputy director explained: “We know from our work with young people that the vast majority of them want to vote but are not aware they have to register to vote or only become aware after the deadline for inclusion in the supplementary register. This is particularly an issue for young people who turned 18 and became eligible to vote since the local and European elections in 2014.”
Donegal County Council have also urged anyone who feels they may not be eligible to vote to check the register and you can do this though links on www.donegalcoco.ie
Any young person who is 18 years of age on or before the 22nd of May is eligible to vote. If they are not currently registered, they can do so by downloading and filling in the RFA2 form at www.checktheregister.ie. This form must be brought to and stamped at a Garda Station where the applicant is required to bring ID and returned to the local authority before close of business on Tuesday May 5.
“With the upcoming bank holiday weekend the latest day for posting the form is effectively Friday 1st May 2015. We strongly encourage young people to register and to go out and vote in the upcoming referendums. It is your democratic right and a great opportunity to have your say in shaping the future of this country,” concluded Mr Doorley.
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