Cork County Council moves to stop polling cards being sent to deceased voters

Cork County Council plans reforms to prevent polling cards being sent to deceased voters following repeated complaints from families

The issue first emerged during the last local elections, resurfaced during the general election, and most recently followed the presidential election.

Cork County Council is set to address the distress caused by polling cards being sent to people who have died, following numerous complaints from councillors who say the problem occurs far too often and is avoidable.

The issue first emerged during the last local elections, resurfaced during the general election, and most recently followed the presidential election.

Councillors say they have repeatedly received complaints from distraught families after each election, upset at receiving polling cards addressed to deceased loved ones.

In several cases, the cards were sent to people who had been dead for a number of years.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the council is actively engaging with youth groups to encourage young people to register to vote.

The ongoing issue of polling cards being issued to deceased people was raised at a recent council meeting by Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Donovan.

He called on the local authority to launch a media campaign early in the new year, urging people who receive polling cards for deceased relatives to contact the council to have names permanently removed from the register.

In the meantime, he said families affected should contact the council directly.

“After presidential election I got a lot of calls from people who got polling cards sent to deceased members of their family. It is very upsetting for them. I know it (the electoral register) will never be absolutely perfect, but it will help us to keep it tidied up,” Mr Donovan said.

“I think we were all very aware before and after the elections of how inaccurate our register is,” added Fianna Fail councillor Gobnait Moynihan.

Complaints are also common about polling cards being sent to incorrect addresses, while some voters receive cards at more than one address.

Divisional manager Sharon Corcoran said staff in the council’s franchise office are currently carrying out data cleansing in preparation for the new national online register of electors, due to be rolled out by the end of spring 2026.

“In addition, the register of electors is being updated based on amendment sheets submitted by the electorate over recent months, the majority of which relate to deceased family members. Once these amendments have been made in quarter one of 2026, consideration can be given to initiating a media campaign,” Ms Corcoran said.

She added that the franchise unit is also working with Comhairle na nÓg and other youth groups to promote early voter registration.