Franchise by election type
Two neighbours may have different ballots: a non-Irish resident may vote in local elections, while Dáil and presidential elections have citizenship rules.
| Election | The key extra eligibility rule | |
|---|---|---|
| Dáil | Irish or British citizenship, age 18+, and registration. | Your constituency determines which candidates appear on your ballot. |
| European Parliament | Irish or another EU citizenship, age 18+, and registration. | An EU citizen must register and vote in only one Member State's election. |
| Local elections | Residence in Ireland, age 18+, and registration. | Citizenship is not required for the local franchise. |
| President or constitutional referendum | Irish citizenship, age 18+, and registration. | The presidential ballot uses PR-STV; a constitutional referendum is Yes/No. |
On the course: CSPE strand 3 and Leaving Cert Politics and Society topic 2 ask who can vote for the Dáil, and where the franchise is narrower.
Nationality and residence decide which ballots you get. Age and registration apply across the board: you must be 18 on the day of the poll and listed on the register.
| Election | Who can vote | Voting system |
|---|---|---|
| Dáil | Irish and British citizens, 18, on the register | PR-STV |
| European Parliament | Irish and other EU citizens, 18 | PR-STV |
| President | Irish citizens, 18 | PR-STV, one seat (quota is a majority) |
| Referendum | Irish citizens, 18 | Yes or No, not PR-STV |
| Local | Residents including non-EU, 18 | PR-STV |
Dáil, European, presidential and local elections use PR-STV. A presidential race fills one office, so the quota is effectively a majority of valid votes.
A constitutional referendum ballot asks Yes or No. How Irish referendums work explains the process.
Local elections are the widest franchise. How local government works in Ireland covers councils and councillors.
A worked example
A 17-year-old cannot vote in a Dáil election. An 18-year-old British citizen living in Dublin can vote for a TD and cannot vote in a presidential election or a referendum.
That same British citizen can also vote in local elections. An Irish or other EU citizen living in Ireland can vote for MEPs. Only Irish citizens cast ballots for the President or on a constitutional amendment.
Seanad elections and standing as a candidate
Most Seanad seats are not filled by a public vote. Panel electors, the Higher Education constituency and Taoiseach nominees fill the House instead. How is the Seanad elected sets out those routes.
You do not need to be able to vote to stand in every case. A Dáil candidate must be an Irish citizen and at least 21 (Article 16).