ieExplains: Everything you need to know about the Dublin Central and Galway West by-elections

Voters in two constituencies will head to the polls this week to elect new TDs to the Dáil

Polling stations across Dublin Central and Galway West will open from 7am until 10pm on Friday. File picture: iStock

By-elections for one seat in Dublin Central and one seat in Galway West are due to take place on Friday.

By-elections are held when Dáil seats become vacant and allow voters to elect a new TD between general elections.

Typically, when a member of the Dáil dies, resigns, or retires, a by-election to fill the vacant seat must be called within six months.

The seat in Galway West became vacant following the election of Catherine Connolly as President in October last year.

Meanwhile, the Dublin Central vacancy arose following the resignation of Paschal Donohoe in November last year.

Poll opening and closing times 

Polling stations across Dublin Central and Galway West will open from 7am until 10pm on Friday.

Voters are advised to check their polling card in advance to confirm the location of their polling station.

Who can vote in these by-elections?

You can vote in a by-election if you are registered to vote, are an Irish or British citizen, are aged over 18, and are ordinarily resident in one of the two constituencies holding a by-election.

ID requirements 

Voters may be asked to provide identification at polling stations before receiving a ballot paper.

Accepted forms of ID include a passport, driving licence, Public Services Card, student card with a photograph, or an employee identity card.

Who are the candidates in the Galway West by-election? 

There are 16 candidates on the ballot paper in this constituency:

• Néill Bairéad, Non Party 
• A.J. Cahill, The Irish People 
• Mike Cubbard, Non-Party 
• Patrick Feeney, Non-Party 
• Sheila Garrity, Non-Party 
• Cillian Keane, Fianna Fáil 
• Seán Kyne, Fine Gael 
• Mark Lohan, Sinn Féin 
• Niall Murphy, Green Party 
• Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich, Social Democrats 
• Orla Nugent, Aontú 
• Helen Ogbu, The Labour Party 
• John O’Leary, Non-Party 
• Denman Rooke, People Before Profit – Solidarity 
• Michael Ryan, Non-Party 
• Noel Thomas, Non-Party 
• Thomas Welby, Non-Party

Who are the candidates in the Dublin Central by-election? 

There are 14 candidates on the ballot paper in this constituency:

• Janice Boylan, Sinn Féin 
• Tony Corrigan, Non-Party 
• Daniel Ennis, Social Democrats 
• Colm Joseph Flood, Non-Party 
• Mannix Flynn, Non-Party 
• Janet Horner, Green Party 
• Gerard Hutch, Non-Party 
• Ray McAdam, Fine Gael 
• Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, People Before Profit – Solidarity 
• Ruth O’Dea, Labour Party 
• John O’Leary, Non-Party 
• Ian Noel Smyth, Aontú 
• Malachy Steenson, Non-Party 
• John Stephens, Fianna Fáil

How does the voting process work?

Ireland uses the proportional representation system with a single transferable vote (PR-STV).

Voters rank candidates in order of preference by marking “1” beside their first-choice candidate, “2” beside their second choice, and so on.

If no candidate reaches the required quota on the first count, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed based on next preferences until one candidate is elected.

What happens during a count?  

The election count is expected to begin at around 9am on Saturday, when the quota — the number of votes a candidate must receive to be elected — will be calculated.

"The counting of votes will take place in line with the rules for the counting of votes as set out in the Electoral Act, 1992. As usually happens at election counts, the number of first preference votes for each candidate will be counted," the electoral commission said. 

"After this first count takes place, if no candidate reaches the quota, the candidate with the lowest number of first preferences will be excluded, and the next preferences of those ballot papers will be distributed among the remaining candidates," it added. 

When are results expected?

Counting is due to begin at around 9am on Saturday, with the first tallies and early count updates expected later that morning.

Because both contests are single-seat by-elections, results could emerge by Saturday afternoon, although multiple counts and vote transfers may be required before a candidate reaches the quota.

Final results will depend on turnout levels, transfer patterns, and how evenly votes are distributed among candidates.