# Removed from Register



## simplyjoe (23 May 2007)

My wife was removed from the electoral register despite having voted in the last 4 elections. Who can do this? Who is responsible? She is very upset as she is from a very politically active family. Any way that she can get justice? The whole thing seems farcical.  Surely if you are being removed from a register you should at the very least get a letter advising you of same.


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## olddog (23 May 2007)

simplyjoe said:


> ....... Who can do this? Who is responsible? ........



Well I wish I knew.

I have been trying to get one of my two register entries removed for the last year.

I asked to be removed

I got a letter saying I would be removed unless I responded asking not to be removed

I did not respond to it

I now I find I'm still on the **** thing

As you, er, say

The whole thing seems farcical.


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## A_b (23 May 2007)

have ye moved house or anything? My parents were removed too after moving house last year even though they always vote. 

Also know of ppl who are on the register now eventhough they are not irish citizens.

There was a big campaign a few months ago for people to check to see if they were on the register and if not to get added - alot of politicians got removed too.


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## simplyjoe (23 May 2007)

No. Same house, same husband and same circumstances for at least 11 years.


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## dereko1969 (23 May 2007)

A_b said:


> have ye moved house or anything? My parents were removed too after moving house last year even though they always vote.
> 
> Also know of ppl who are on the register now eventhough they are not irish citizens.


 
Non-Irish citizens have been on the register for years, they're entitled to be on it if they are a) UK citizens who can vote in Dáil elections, b) EU citizens who can vote in local & european elections or c) non-EU citizens who can vote in local elections. That said it's a disgrace the OPs wife has been removed.


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## A_b (23 May 2007)

ya these ppl are not from eu and only been here a year so thought it was strange that they can vote when loads of ppl taken off it


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## terrysgirl33 (23 May 2007)

This is why you are advised to check the register in November every year as names go on and off every year.  Did she check it?


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## Westie123 (23 May 2007)

terrysgirl33 said:


> This is why you are advised to check the register in November every year as names go on and off every year.  Did she check it?



But it still does not answer the question as to who has the authority to remove someone's name.


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## dereko1969 (23 May 2007)

A_b said:


> ya these ppl are not from eu and only been here a year so thought it was strange that they can vote when loads of ppl taken off it


 
they can be on the register but not entitled to *vote* in this election. if however, they've received polling cards then that's a different matter and they should not vote. from the OPs point of view his wife could check the register for her previous address, she may still be registered to vote somewhere else.


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## bond-007 (23 May 2007)

I got removed simply because I was not home when they called to compile the register. First I knew was when a letter was received saying I was being removed. 

I immediately contacted the council and I had to go to a special sitting of the circuit court and state my case before I was allowed back on the register. The court was full of people in the same sitatuation. The Judge was not impressed.

It's a joke imho. I still know of several people receiving multiple polling cards and they are not a mile from my house.


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## Gypsy girl (23 May 2007)

simplyjoe said:


> My wife was removed from the electoral register despite having voted in the last 4 elections. Who can do this? Who is responsible? She is very upset as she is from a very politically active family. Any way that she can get justice? The whole thing seems farcical. Surely if you are being removed from a register you should at the very least get a letter advising you of same.


 simplejoe;  Both my husband and I are it seems no longer on the register either. Having not received our polling cards by Monday last I phoned my local council only to be informed "you are not on the system" when I asked why? I was informed "no idea". We have voted for years never had a problem before.
I too am angry that someone has removed our names, no explanation, no letter, no apology, NO VOTE! What makes my blood boil even more is last year every household in the country was sent an Application for Registration Form to complete, it stated "Even if you are on the Current Register of Electors you must complete this form to be eligible to vote" I returned our completed form on 9th October last. 
But thats not the last of it...whoever is responsible for removing our names decided to put our daughters name on the Register...... and thats another story!


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## A_b (23 May 2007)

dereko1969 said:


> they can be on the register but not entitled to *vote* in this election. if however, they've received polling cards then that's a different matter and they should not vote. from



they got voting cards - they think it will be "fun" to vote!!


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## shesells (23 May 2007)

The electoral register was majorly overhauled in the autumn with tens of thousands of people removed at the direction of the Minister for the Environment. It was up to everyone to check they were on the register after November and get on it if they were gone.

There was a lot of publicity about this at the time and I have little sympathy for people who've just discovered they're not registered. It took 3 forms and 2 letters for me to get back on it but I'm there.


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## aircobra19 (23 May 2007)

I'm a bit puzzled how someone would not have heard about it. I don't watch the news or read papers much and even I heard about it.


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## lfcjfc (24 May 2007)

If you find yourself off the register with no polling card, is there anything that you can do at all to vote - like show up at the polling station with your passport and proof of address or anything?


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## micheller (24 May 2007)

No, there's nothing you can do now except request an application form for the new draft. I'm the same and am so peeved. Had not changed anything and yet was removed from where I've previously voted.


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## Nige (24 May 2007)

Westie123 said:


> But it still does not answer the question as to who has the authority to remove someone's name.


 
Councillors can.


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## justsally (24 May 2007)

"In regard to removing electors from the register in the course of its preparation, authorities are required under a ministerial instruction issued *under section 18 of the Electoral Act 1992* to send a notice to a person, whose name it is proposed to omit from the draft register, indicating that they have failed to establish that the person is still resident at the address and, unless evidence to the contrary is provided within ten days, his or her name will be removed."

Ref:http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20041028.xml&Ex=All&Page=43


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## Mers1 (24 May 2007)

SimplyJoe, 

Are you sure your wife is not on the register?? Not being smart but I checked myself online and no sign of my name etc, went with form to Guards to double check and have change of address form signed and they too confirmed that I was no longer on register. 

As last resort and numerous phone calls to local council, I was found!!!!!  apparently when names were being added online/register updated last year there were a lot of inaccuracies by the "people" inputting on the system.  In particular if your name is in Irish where a fada would be used, or if there is an apostrophe in your name.  Plus addresses were input incorrectly! Mine is literally backward!

Eventhough I havent received a polling card I have been assured that I can turn up and vote as long as I bring all the usual ID etc.  Maybe give it a try?? Good luck


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## RainyDay (24 May 2007)

Nige said:


> Councillors can.


No, they can't. The register is managed by the Franchise section of your local authority, and councillors have no direct access.


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## dereko1969 (24 May 2007)

i checked my sisters info for her online a few weeks ago and she was registered. then today she wasn't! she never got a polling card, thanks to the above message i realised there might have been a mistake and rang fingal, she is on the register. so the message is, check with the council as their online versions aren't trustworthy. numpties!


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## Nige (24 May 2007)

RainyDay said:


> No, they can't. The register is managed by the Franchise section of your local authority, and councillors have no direct access.


 
Sorry, I didn't mean that Councillors can delete people of right, but they regularly do seek deletions (and additions) by applying to the County Registrar in Court. The attached file gives more details on the system.

http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/Voting/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,1897,en.pdf


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## Cahir (24 May 2007)

I definitely removed myself from my old address but it seems a polling card arrived there too as well as my current address.


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## simplyjoe (24 May 2007)

shesells said:


> The electoral register was majorly overhauled in the autumn with tens of thousands of people removed at the direction of the Minister for the Environment. It was up to everyone to check they were on the register after November and get on it if they were gone.
> 
> There was a lot of publicity about this at the time and I have little sympathy for people who've just discovered they're not registered. It took 3 forms and 2 letters for me to get back on it but I'm there.


 
I did not see any publicity. What my post was about was who removed her and why was she not informed? We hear this stuff about the importance of using your vote but then people are removed and they dont even get the courtesy of being asked. It shows a huge disrespect for the whole process. Does this mean that before every election you have to check the register? Nonsense I registered to vote then dont take me off unless you are sure I am not entitled to vote. I should not have to check every time. My wife is very upset and no one is owning up to making the error. Typical Ireland. No accountability. Do what you like. Make mistakes and get away with it.


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## shesells (24 May 2007)

Sorry but it was all over the news and the papers. There was war about it, some TDs and Senators were taken off the register. Some registers were totaly decimated.

The reason being 600,000 people on the register who shouldn't have been. Mostly duplications because people had moved and were still on the original register. So the various county councils were directed by the department of the environment to correct their register and they took different tactics to update their registers.

My experience of two of them:

Cork Co. Co (where I had been on the register) sent a letter to my previous address stating that I had been removed from the register as I did not seem to be living there any more. If I wanted to go on the register I had to send proof that I was still at that address, otherwise I would remain off their register.

Fingal Co. Co. - sent in registration forms in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Guy called round in the middle of the afternoon in September (obviously I was at work) and left a note to say he'd been. Then got a letter from Fingal asking for proof as above. Replied with the proof and signed their letter...6 weeks later the guy calls round again and same as before. When I sent back proof the second time I posted it and faxed it. I also phoned the franchise section of the council to make sure I was on the register. And I am.

As someone mentioned before, your issue is with the franchise section of the County Council. They should have sent a letter.


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## simplyjoe (24 May 2007)

Did not see the publicity. Question still remains. Why remove someone who consistently voted and why not advise her.


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## shesells (24 May 2007)

The councils didn't examine voting patterns in their review, that would have taken too long and prove nothing as you could have voted for 20 years in one place but then moved on. 

In most cases they called to houses. Your wife SHOULD have got a letter from the council, she needs to take it up with them.


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## aircobra19 (24 May 2007)

simplyjoe said:


> Did not see the publicity. Question still remains. Why remove someone who consistently voted and why not advise her.



Because there were lots of deceased people voting consistently. Which is why this was started to clean up the register. It was all over the media, and they had people calling around to the door on numerous occasions in our area. I guess the idea was if in doubt. Drop them off the register, and let them put themselves back on. Probably the most cost and resource effective way of doing it.


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## aircobra19 (24 May 2007)

simplyjoe said:


> ...Does this mean that before every election you have to check the register?....



Well yes. Its not exactly difficult.


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## RainyDay (24 May 2007)

Nige said:


> Sorry, I didn't mean that Councillors can delete people of right, but they regularly do seek deletions (and additions) by applying to the County Registrar in Court. The attached file gives more details on the system.
> 
> http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/Voting/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,1897,en.pdf



True, but note that "Interested persons are notified of the county registrar's decision" so this wouldn't explain any unexpected removals from the register.


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## ramble (24 May 2007)

I  personally know 5 people who were deleted from the register without receiving any notification.  These were committed activists who don't ignore their post.  Only two noticed in time and made enough of a fuss to get back on.  I've also heard second hand of a particular area where the grown up sons and daughters of one party's supporters were removed with out notice whilst those of another - despite living outside the country- remained on.


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## aircobra19 (24 May 2007)

I can only agree that it doesn't seem to have been a very sophisticated process and can imagine theres been a lot of mistakes. You'd think it could have been done more accurately.


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## simplyjoe (25 May 2007)

aircobra19 said:


> I can only agree that it doesn't seem to have been a very sophisticated process and can imagine theres been a lot of mistakes. You'd think it could have been done more accurately.


 
Exactly. Whoever planned it showed no skill and whoever carried it out made mistakes. Will heads roll? Not likely. These people who are in charge of these things get paid huge wages and get great pensions. They shoud be accountable for their mistakes.


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