Government to introduce an electoral commission to clean up the way elections are run

In the wake of the phoney pollsters revelations, the minister promises legislation by the end of the year 

The promised electoral commission is expected to have a wide suite of responsibilities, ranging from maintaining the electoral register, to providing oversight of polls, and regulating political advertising.

The Government has insisted it will introduce an electoral commission to oversee a major cleaning up of how elections are run in this country.

After decades of inaction and broken promises, in the wake of the controversy this week around the use of fake pollsters to gather information on voting intentions, the Government has committed to passing the necessary legislation by the end of this year.

A spokeswoman for Darragh O'Brien, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, said civil servant Art O'Leary has been appointed to work on the administrative arrangements.

“We will ensure that this commission is in place by the end of 2021,” the Government said.

Range of responsibilities from the electoral register to political advertising 

An electoral commission would provide independent oversight of elections and referendums, inform the public about them, update and maintain the electoral register, and conduct the elections. It would also have the power to regulate online political advertising in the public interest and introduce a consistent regime relating to political advertising across all media.

The new commission will have the powers to examine the use of postal voting, with a view to expanding its provision. 

It is also to examine the use of posters at elections and referendums within 12 months of its establishment, and consult on placing limitations on the number of posters that can be used, or fixing certain locations for their use. 

Legislation 'before 2024 local elections'

The Government has said it will legislate for its recommendations in advance of the 2024 local elections.

The commission will also have responsibility for modernising the voter register, which is constantly about 30% inaccurate, by way of measures including the simplification of forms and the registration process, introducing an online option, and introducing a rolling electoral register.

One of the bolder promises is to examine replacing by-elections with an alternate list system.