Thousands Of Errors Found On Electoral Register, Including Deceased And Duplicate Voters

Thursday, 1 May 2025 15:17

By Martin Osborne

Eleven counties have more people on the register than their entire populations.

The Electoral Commission says a major overhaul of the electoral register is needed.

There are hundreds of thousands of mistakes on the lists of the 31 local authorities.

This includes people who are registered twice or those who’ve emigrated or passed away.

Eleven counties for example have more people on the register than their entire populations.

Kildare County Council, however, has emerged as one of the top performers in managing its electoral register, according to the Electoral Commission’s inaugural oversight report published this week.

The report, which reviews the accuracy and completeness of voter lists across Ireland’s 31 local authorities, highlights Kildare as a standout for its data quality and proactive maintenance.

The county recorded above-average rates for key data indicators, with over 26% of voters providing a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) - a key tool in preventing duplicate entries.

Additionally, 63.2% of voters had both a date of birth and Eircode recorded, compared to a national average of just 56%.

Kildare also led in register hygiene, removing nearly 5,000 outdated or redundant entries in 2024 alone and updating more than 22,000 records.

Chief Executive of the Commission, Art O’Leary, said the results of elections haven’t been compromised as a result of mistakes recorded across local authority lists.

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