New website SeanadVoter.ie launched as state prepares to all ALL Degree holders vote for Upper House

The new rules for electing the six university Senators that will apply after the next General Election have move a step closer as registration opens for the new Higher Education constituency.

The current arrangements, whereby three Senators are elected by graduates of NUI and three by graduates of the University of Dublin (Trinity College), will remain in place for the current Seanad General Election that is now underway. Existing electors are due to receive their ballots in the coming weeks.

However, the new constituency, which will initially include a further fifteen Designated Institutions of Higher Education in the State, will, in future, elect all six Senators as a single constituency.

To be eligible for inclusion in the Register of Electors a person must:

The included institutions are NUI, the University of Dublin – Trinity College and those designated under the Higher Education Authority Act 2022. These are the seven traditional universities, the technical universities, the institutes of technology, the National College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

The NUI was appointed as the Central Registration Authority for the constituency and as such it has a statutory role to prepare and maintain the register of electors and administer elections for the new constituency.

Applications to be included in the first Register of Electors for the new constituency can be made online to the Central Registration Authority via Seanadvoter.ie or by post until 23 January 2025. The register will be published and come into force on 1 April 2025. An annual revision process will begin in 2026 and the updated register will be published on every 1 June thereafter.

Describing the new constituency as the most significant expansion of the Seanad electorate ever, Minister O’Brien welcomed the work done by the NUI in enabling online applications for the much expanded number of graduates now eligible to apply for inclusion, saying:

The last day to register is Thursday 23 January 2025. People will need to submit their applications and any required supporting documents either by post or directly on the application portal on Seanadvoter.ie by the deadline. NUI and Trinity College Dublin are issuing letters to some 170,000 existing electors in their constituencies outlining the steps they need to take to ensure they are included in the new register of electors.

The current Seanad General Election is being held on the basis of the two existing constituencies (NUI and University of Dublin – Trinity College Dublin), electing three Senators each. The polls close for both the NUI and University of Dublin constituencies at 11am on Wednesday 29 January 2025.

Whilst the timeline for this process and registration for the new constituency overlap, they are independent. In a judgment last year, the Supreme Court determined that sections 6 and 7 of that Act, which provide for the election of members of the Seanad by graduates from certain universities, are unconstitutional because they are not consistent with Article 18.4.2 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court issued a judgment in July 2023 to suspend the making of a declaration of invalidity until 31 May 2025 ensuring that any future Seanad General Election would be held on the basis of an expanded group of institutions. The Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Act 2024 gave effect to the necessary changes.

The Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Act 2024 provides for the NUI to be the Central Registration Authority (CRA). The CRA has appointed Dr. Patrick O’Leary to be Chief Registration Officer (CRO) and the Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Ireland shall be the returning officer for every election in the Higher Education constituency.

Seanadvoter.ie includes an online portal for application. Applicants will be asked to provide some personal data including name, address, date of birth, Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) and citizenship details. Where a new applicant does not provide a PPSN they are asked to have their form witnessed and upload this with their application. The information provided may be shared with other relevant bodies in line with the legislation where it is necessary and proportionate, including to verify the accuracy of a claim and to identify duplicates. A paper form is also available either from the CRA or for download from seanadvoter.ie.

No. NUI and Trinity are contacting their existing electors to inform them of the necessary steps to ensure they are included on the register for the new constituency.

2025:

From 2026:

Any Seanad General Election that takes place on foot of a Seanad Election Order made by the Minister after 21 March 2025 will be held on the basis of the new Higher Education constituency. This is in line with the Supreme Court judgement that required any Seanad University election held after 31 May 2025 will be on the basis of an expanded number of institutions.

Designated institutions include:

A designated institution of higher education, as provided for in the Higher Education Authority Act 2022:

The Higher Education Authority Act provides for a process whereby higher education institutions not currently designated can in future apply for designation. Once this process is in place the constituency will automatically expand to include the newly designated institutions.