New National Voter Registration Day to be launched on 30th April
A new campaign to create an annual National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, 30th April launches today. The aim of the initiative is to establish a national day in Ireland to promote voter registration among people who are eligible to vote.
The three founders of the initiative, Liliana Fernandez, Programme Manager at Common Purpose Ireland, Leon Diop, Co-Founder of Black and Irish, and Brian Hearne, Policy and Communications Manager at the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS), say that their main focus is to increase greater political participation among minority groups and young people ahead of the local elections in June 2024
Speaking about the launch of the National Voter Registration Day, Liliana Fernandez, said: “There is a lack of knowledge about voter rights among many people in Ireland. This raises concerns about civic engagement and representation in Irish politics. In anticipation of the upcoming local elections, we are collaborating with community leaders across the country to inform minorities and young people of their political rights, educate them on the roles of local councillors, the functions of local authorities, and how to register to vote.”
Brian Hearne said “We are engaging with a wide range of groups and organisations, and gathering support from around the country to create an annual National Voter Registration Day on 30th April. We want to ensure that anyone who is eligible to vote is registered to vote, but in particular, we want to reach underrepresented groups and young people who are often unaware of their voting rights in Ireland. For example, many migrants who do not have Irish citizenship are unaware that they can vote in local elections. Our aim is to have as many voter registration centres as we can throughout Ireland. Arrangements are already underway to have voter registration drives in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, and Kilkenny, and we hope to have more locations confirmed over the coming days.”
The campaign will see work being done to implement a nationwide National Voter Registration Day on 30th April through the collaboration of community leaders, groups, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders. There will also be materials made available for voter registration drives to happen across Ireland, with the official launch taking place at the Mansion House in Dublin. Over 30 organisations from across the country are supporting the initiative, with the groups including: Black and Irish, the Irish Council for International Students, the National Women’s Council, the Electoral Commission, Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the National Traveller Women's Forum.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor:
Organisations Supporting National Voter Registration Day
The list of groups and organisations supporting the National Voter Registration Day to date includes: Black and Irish, Irish Council for International Students, National Women's Council, AkiDwa, the Electoral Commission, Clare PPN, Doras, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Minceirs Whiden, Dignity Partnership, National Traveller Women's Forum, See Her Elected, the Cultural Wheel, Dublin South City Partnership, Southside Partnership Women’s Programme DLR, Waterford New Communities Network and Women For Election.
About National Voter Registration Day
National Voter Registration Day is an initiative created by Liliana Fernandez (Programme Manager at Common Purpose Ireland and former Trainer and Integration Officer at the Immigrant Council of Ireland, Leon Diop (Co-Founder of Black and Irish) and Brian Hearne (Policy and Communications Manager at the Irish Council for International Students, and former Chairperson of the Latin America Solidarity Centre). The initiative focuses on the creation of a National Voter Registration Day, the first of which takes place on 30thApril 2024, to inform underrepresented groups and young people across Ireland of their right to vote and how to register to vote.