Eligibility for election to a local authority
The next local elections will take place in 2024. Every Irish Citizen and every person ordinarily resident in the State, who has reached the age of 18, on Election day is eligible to become a Candidate.
You can nominate yourself to be a candidate or you can be nominated by someone else, once the person nominating you is registered to vote in the Local Electoral Area that you will be nominated for. Nomination forms will be available in 2024. Nomination forms are submitted to the Corporate Services section by appointment during the period for nominations, dates will be advertised.
A nomination paper from a candidate of a registered political party must have a certificate of political affiliation attached.
If no certificate is attached, one or other of the following procedures must be complied with before the expiration of the time for receiving nominations -
(i) the completion of statutory declarations by 15 assenters registered as local government electors in the relevant local electoral area which must be witnessed by a Commissioner for Oaths, a Peace Commissioner, a Notary Public, a member of the Garda Síochána or an official of the registration authority,
or
(ii) the candidate, or someone on his or her behalf, lodging a deposit of €100 with the local returning officer.
Expenditure and Donations
The Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 1999 provides for an expenditure and donations disclosure regime at local elections. These guidelines are concerned with the statutory obligations for candidates, national agents, designated persons unconnected to a political party or candidate (third parties) at the forthcoming local elections contained in the Local Government Reform Act 2014 and the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012.
Election Posters
The legislation governing the placement of posters at election time is The Litter Pollution Act 1997 as amended by the Electoral (Amendment)(No.2) Act 2009. The legislation provides that erection of posters is only permitted from the date the order is made by the Minister appointing the polling day or 30 days prior to the date of the poll, whichever is the shorter period. Thereafter posters must be removed within 7 days of the polling day.
The order for the Local and European Elections was made on the 25th March 2019. As a result, the shorter period will apply which is 30 days prior to the date of the poll. Therefore postering will be permitted from Wed 24th April 2019 until midnight on the 31st May 2019.
Safety-Concerns-regarding-Election-Posters.docx (size 16.4 KB)
Voluntary Code for Candidate Posters
A voluntary code of practice exists in which election candidates in Local Elections in the village areas of Tallaght, Lucan, Clondalkin and Palmerstown have previously agreed not to erect posters in those villages at the request of local Tidy Towns groups.