Early voting on Irish islands to be swept away in electoral reform

New plans before Cabinet will see around 2,000 islanders vote at same time as the rest of the country

Around 2,000 registered voters on 12 Irish islands currently go to the polls a day early but under new plans, islanders will vote at the same time as the rest of the country. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Early voting on the country's most remote islands is to be a thing of the past under legislation coming to Cabinet this week.

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien will bring the Electoral Reform Bill 2022 to Cabinet on Tuesday. That paves the way for a major overhaul of Ireland's electoral system, with the end of early voting on the islands among the proposals.