EXPLAINER: How to vote on June 7 and not spoil it!

On Friday, June 7, hundreds of thousands of Irish people are expected to cast their votes on who they think should be elected to both their local county council and the European Parliament - and additionally in Limerick, who should be mayor.

The last time Irish people took to the polls and voted in local and European elections in June 2019, 108,488 votes were spoilt and those people lost out on having their vote considered.

So how can one vote properly and avoid spoiling their vote? 

While weighing in on who you think fits the role as a good public and European representative, there are considerations you must think about before marking your ballot paper. 

Arrival 

Once arriving at your local polling station, which will be open from 7am to 10pm, you will have to give your name and address and will be asked to present valid ID such as a driving licence. See the full list of valid ID options here.

You will be handed two ballot papers, three if you are in Limerick, which you must start each ballot paper with ‘1' then '2’, and so on.

You vote for your favourite candidates in terms of preference, 1 being your favourite, 2 being your second choice, and so on.

Do not tick or mark any box with an ‘x’ – this will spoil your vote and your vote won't count. 

What if I make a mistake?

If you make a mistake on your ballot paper, the returning officer may give you another ballot paper. This is at the discretion of the returning officer - they do not have to do this.

If you have already posted your vote in the ballot box, the returning officer cannot give you another ballot paper.

Ballot paper layout

The names of the candidates in the election are on the ballot paper.

You will also see a photo of the candidate.

If a candidate is a member of a political party, you will see the party emblem

Spoiled votes

Common mistakes people make which makes their vote invalid:

• The ballot paper was left blank
• The ballot paper did not have the number ‘1’ next to any candidate
• The voter ticked or otherwise marked their preferred candidate or candidates, instead of numbering them
• The writing on the ballot paper could not be understood
• The ballot paper was not stamped by the presiding officer
• The voter wrote their name or identified themselves in some way
• The order of preference was not clear (for example, the voter wrote ‘3’ next to 2 different candidates)
• The voter deliberately spoiled their paper as a protest

Remember to start each ballot paper with '1', etc - do not start the first ballot paper with '1', '2', '3' and continue onto the next ballot paper by writing '4', '5', '6'. This will spoil your vote! 

Start each ballot paper with the number '1' next to your preferred candidate. Do not write anything else.