And we’re off! Wait ... where are we off to?

Thousands of polling stations will open their doors at 7am on Friday 7th June to allow citizens to cast their vote in the 2024 local and European elections. Polling stations will open at 7am and are due to close at 10pm. If you haven’t been sent your polling card yet, which should detail your local polling station, don’t panic!

As long as you are registered to vote (wondering if you are? checktheregister.ie) then bring some valid identification and this will do the job. This could include a passport, a driving licence, a public services card, or an employee or student identity card with a photograph. Don’t have these either? Dig out a travel document or a bank or credit union savings book.

Other forms of identification are also acceptable, such as a credit card or a birth certificate, but you’ll also need an accompanying document which confirms your address in the constituency if you’re relying on either of those.

What are we voting for? And who can vote?

There are three elections happening on Friday: the European Parliament elections, the local elections and the first directly elected mayor of Limerick. There’s a difference in who can vote in all three. Obviously, only those registered to vote in the Limerick city and county electoral areas can vote for the mayor.

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For local elections, you do not have to be an Irish citizen to vote. You just need to be over 18 years of age, live in the relevant local electoral area and also be listed on the register of electors.

As for the European elections, every Irish citizen aged 18 and over who is on the register of electors can cast a vote. If you’re an Irish citizen living in another EU country, you can vote in that country. If you are from another EU member state but are living in Ireland you can vote in the European election in Ireland.

• Find details of candidates in each European Election constituency here
• Find details of candidates in each local electoral area here.
• Find details of 15 candidates for the Limerick mayoral election here.

What will the ballot paper look like?

The ballot paper will show a list of names, in alphabetical order, party emblems and images of each candidate. There will be a box to the right of each candidates name. You mark your preference for each candidate in the box to the right. Put a “1″ in the box beside your first choice candidate and, if you wish, a “2″ in the box beside your second choice candidate, a “3″ in the box beside your third choice candidate, and so on. Do this for each individual ballot paper you are given.

Any tips on using the ballot paper?

Here’s some guidance on how not to vote. Yes, we’re talking about spoiled ballots – it happens more often than the Electoral Commission would like. In the 2019 local and European elections, there were 108,488 spoilt and ineligible votes, which is the equivalent of the full capacity of Croke Park stadium with another third of the stadium again. This very well could be the difference for candidates in winning or losing seats, and no one wants that. So here’s a few tips.

First, don’t put anything that could possibly be construed as an identifying mark on the paper, this could be seen as a violation of the secrecy of the ballot.

Second, remember that the local and European ballot papers are separate and distinct from each other, so it’s two separate sets of preferences for each paper. If you make a mistake, don’t sweat it. Leave the booth and hand back your paper to the presiding officer. They will put that paper in with spoiled ballots and give you another paper.

If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask the presiding officer.

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When will the votes be counted?

After weeks of hitting the streets and roads of Ireland, this is the moment the candidates have been waiting for. The ballot boxes will be opened on Saturday morning at 9am. The ballot papers will be sorted and separated. Counting of the locals will be conducted first. There are around 2,100 candidates running in 31 local authorities, covering a total of 166 local electoral areas. These local politicians are competing for 949 seats, so the competition is fierce.

Political parties appoint tallymen and tallywomen in count centres to watch the votes being opened and sorted. These tallies will give an early indication as to how the race is panning out and will be closely watched by politicians and journalists. In an ideal world where there are no recounts, most constituencies will have their results by the end of Saturday.

What about the European elections?

It’s not quite as simple for the European election count. A huge number of candidates are running. In Midlands North-West, there are 27 candidates on the ballot paper. In the 2019 European election, the count took four days to elect four MEPs. Now there are five seats. It all depends on the strength of the vote won by the top candidates and how much clear space they can put between them and others.

In 2019, counting went on in Ireland South for around seven days. There are 23 candidates running this time around in Ireland South. In 2019, Dublin was quicker, taking three days. There are also 23 candidates running in Dublin. In any event, the European count will start at 9am on Sunday but results cannot be announced until voting concludes across Europe at 10pm Irish time. Across the EU, a total of 720 MEPs will be elected. Seats are allocated on the basis of population of each member state of the European Union. No country can have fewer than six or more than 96 MEPs.

Find details of candidates in each European Election constituency here

What about the contest for the first directly elected mayor of Limerick?

They’ve canvassed thousands of doors and gone head-to-head with each other in a series of debates, but for the 15 candidates vying to fill the role of directly elected mayor, the wait will be just that bit longer. Counting does not begin until Monday June 10th and as there is only one position or seat up for grabs, the quota is 50 per cent of valid votes plus 1. Basically, the threshold is higher to succeed, so the counting may not wrap up until Tuesday.

Find details of 15 candidates for the Limerick mayoral election here.

And then it’s on to a general election ... right?

Technically, if any sitting TD is elected to Europe or indeed to be the directly elected mayor of Limerick, a byelection will have to follow. But in the halls of Leinster House, the gossip about a snap election before then is reaching fever pitch. The Dáil must issue the writ for a by-election within six months of the retirement of a TD.

But will a general election come sooner? Watch this space!

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