Thursday 21st May 2015: The Referendum Commission has today called on all voters to use their vote in both referendums tomorrow.

The Commission, which is the independent body set up to explain the referendum proposals and encourage voter turnout, says that unbiased facts about the Marriage Referendum and the Age of Presidential Candidates Referendum are available in both the independent guide and on refcom.ie for voters who are still considering their options.

Commission Chairman, Mr Justice Kevin Cross, said: “We do not argue for a yes or no vote, but we do strongly urge you to inform yourself and use your vote. How you vote on each of the two proposals is entirely a matter for you to decide, but it is important that you use your vote.”

Voters will be given two ballot papers tomorrow. A white ballot paper for the Marriage Referendum and a green ballot paper for the Age of Presidential Candidates Referendum. Voters cast their vote by putting an ‘X’ mark in the box.

Voters may be required to produce evidence of identity when attending at a polling station to vote. Polling cards are not regarded as a valid form of personal identification. All voters should bring ID, such as a passport or driving licence as they may be asked for such personal identification. Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Friday 22nd May.

Referendum Proposals

• The Marriage Referendum, WHITE ballot paper: In this referendum, people may vote Yes or No to the proposal to include a new clause about marriage in the Constitution. This new clause provides that two people may marry each other regardless of their sex.
• The Age of Presidential Candidates Referendum, GREEN ballot paper: In this referendum, people may vote Yes or No to the proposal to reduce the age at which candidates are eligible for election to the office of President from 35 to 21.

The Referendum Commission Guide is available online on its website at www.refcom.ie.

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28 April 2015 – With just four working days to go until the May 5^th register to vote deadline, the Referendum Commission is urging people to register now to vote in the referendums on marriage and on the age of presidential candidates.

The Commission has been running an advertising and social media campaign over the past few weeks encouraging people to check the electoral register to see if their names are on it, and to check that they’re registered at the right address – it only takes a couple of minutes. If you need to register or change your details there is still time – but very little time.

All voters’ details can be viewed at www.checktheregister.ie and if people discover they are not registered, or that they’re registered at the wrong address, it’s easy to correct.  The forms needed can be downloaded through that website and, when completed, must be stamped at a Garda station and then returned to the relevant local authority office.  The Commission is also operating a voter registration app on Facebook guiding people through the registration process.

“A referendum gives Irish citizens aged 18 or over, the opportunity to make a decision for their country”, according to the Chairman of the Referendum Commission, Mr Justice Kevin Cross.  “Yet many people will find they can’t take this opportunity for the simple reason they are not registered, or are registered at the wrong address. One of the primary functions of the Referendum Commission is to encourage people to vote, and before the bank holiday weekend arrives, we would encourage you to check the register now to ensure your voice will be heard.  There is very little time:  Do it now!”

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I am Kevin Cross, the Chairperson of the Referendum Commission that has been established in relation to the referendums. The other members of the Commission here today are the Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy; the Ombudsman Peter Tyndall; the Clerk Assistant of the Dáil Peter Finnegan; and the Clerk of the Seanad Deirdre Lane. As you know the Commission is an independent body established by law to explain the referendum proposals and to encourage people to vote.

The referendums are taking place on May 22^nd. There has been considerable public discussion on the referendum on marriage, while there has been much less debate on the referendum on lowering the minimum age for Presidential candidates from 35 to 21. It is important that over the next five and a half weeks voters understand that there are two separate referendums, they will be given a ballot paper dealing with each of them on polling day, and they can vote on each separately, yes or no.

Our job as the Referendum Commission is to help explain these proposals in a neutral way, and to encourage people to vote.

There is a full explanation of each referendum proposal on our website and in our Guide which has been circulated to you. I will just refer briefly to them now.

In respect of the marriage referendum, voters can vote yes or no to this proposal, which is to include a new clause about marriage in the Constitution. If the referendum is passed two people of the same sex will be able to marry each other, just as two people of the opposite sex may marry. A marriage between two people of the same sex will have the same status under the Constitution as a marriage between a man and a woman.

In respect of the Age of Presidential Candidates referendum, voters can vote yes or no to the proposal, which is to reduce the age at which candidates are eligible to run for President from 35 to 21.

The role of the Referendum Commission as set out in law is to give a general explanation of the subject matter of the referendum proposals. Our Guide to the referendum proposals is currently being printed and distribution to about two million households in the State will begin near the end of April. We will also be producing formats of the Guide in Braille, in Irish Sign Language and in easier-to-understand format for people with intellectual disabilities. The explanation of the referendum proposals in the Guide is also available now on our website refcom.ie. We will be running an extensive advertising campaign in all media seeking to explain the proposals and encouraging people to vote.

The most urgent thing for people to deal with now is to check that they are on the electoral register. At every election and referendum there are many thousands of people who are entitled to vote, but can’t vote because they are not registered. There are also many people who have moved house but remain registered at their old address, and this only comes to mind on polling day.

Our message today is that everyone entitled to vote has until close of business on May 5^th to put that right. You can check the electoral register online to see if you are on it, and if your details are correct, by going to checktheregister.ie. You can also inspect the register at local authority offices, post offices, Garda stations and public libraries. To facilitate voters we have an App on Facebook through which people can check the electoral register, ensure they are on the register and that if they are they are registered it is at the right address. If they are not, the App helps them download the appropriate forms to put this right.

It takes a small amount of effort: If you are not on the register or are listed incorrectly you can download the appropriate forms online, or collect them at your local post office, library or local authority office. They must then be returned to your local authority by May 5^th at the latest.

It is not our role to advocate or to put the arguments for or against the referendum proposals. Between now and May 22nd you will hear people arguing on each side of the debate. The Referendum Commission would urge voters to listen to the debate, to refer to our material for independent factual information and to make up their mind on how to vote. .

I am happy to take questions on our campaign, and the main points of the proposals. If anyone has a question on specific detail which requires legal analysis or reflection we will come back to you afterwards with a Referendum Commission response.

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Monday 13^th April 2015:  The Referendum Commission, the independent body set up to explain the referendum proposals, promote public awareness and encourage people to vote, has today launched its public information campaign on the facts about the Marriage referendum and the Age of Presidential Candidates Referendum.

The campaign will involve a website, refcom.ie, which will be the central source of information on the two referendums. There will also be an Independent Guide which will be distributed to every home across the country.  Both will be used to inform people of the detail of the proposed changes to the Constitution.

The Commission will run an extensive advertising campaign on TV, radio, newspapers, outdoor and online over the coming weeks and it will also produce free-to-air referendum broadcasts which will broadcast on all the State’s television and radio stations.

The Commission said today that there is an urgent need for people entitled to vote to check the electoral register, ensure they are on it and that their details are correct, and if not to put that right by May 5th at the latest.  Speaking at the campaign launch today the Commission chairman Mr Justice Kevin Cross said: “At every election and referendum there are many thousands of people who are entitled to vote, but can’t vote because they are not registered.  There are also many people who have moved house but remain registered at their old address, and this only comes to mind on polling day.

“So check the electoral register online at checktheregister.ie or at your local post office, Garda station, public library or local authority office. If you are not on it download the forms, or get one from the post office, library or local authority office. Fill it in, have it stamped at your local Garda station and ensure it gets to your local authority before May 5th.”

The Commission’s information campaign will run right up to polling day.  “We aim to inform people about the facts in relation to the two referendum proposals” said Judge Cross.  “Our job is to provide the facts. I would encourage people to review those facts so that they can make an informed decision about whether to vote yes or no to each proposal.”

The Marriage Referendum

In this referendum, people may vote Yes or No to the proposal to include a new clause about marriage in the Constitution. This new clause provides that two people may marry each other regardless of their sex.

If this referendum is passed:

• Two people of the same sex will be able to marry each other, just as two people of the opposite sex may marry.
• The other detailed rules about who may marry will continue to be set out in legislation, for example, rules about the age of the parties or about relatives who may not marry each other.
• The Constitutional status of marriage will remain unchanged.
• A marriage between two people of the same sex will have the same status under the Constitution as a marriage between a man and a woman.
• A married couple of the opposite sex or of the same sex will be recognised as a family and be entitled to the Constitutional protection for families.

The Age of Presidential Candidates Referendum

In this referendum, people may vote YES or NO to the proposal to reduce the age at which candidates are eligible for election to the office of President from 35 to 21.

If this referendum is passed:

• The age at which candidates are eligible for election to the office of President will be reduced from 35 to 21.
• The other Constitutional provisions in relation to the office of President, including the process for nominating a person to be a candidate for the office of President, will not change.

The Referendum Commission Guide is also available online on its website at refcom.ie.  It also has a dedicated phone line 1890 270 970.  The Guide and website will feature text in both English and Irish.  Voters who have difficulty accessing conventional information material, can inform themselves via the versions of the Guide in Braille, Irish Sign Language DVDs, audio CDs and large print versions of the guide, which will be made available in the coming weeks.  The Commission will also be using Irish Sign Language on some of its television advertisements.

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9 April 2015: The Referendum Commission has launched a campaign urging people to register to vote in the referendums on marriage and on the age of presidential candidates, due to take place on Friday May 22^nd.

The Commission is running an online, radio and outdoor advertising campaign over the next two weeks telling people to check the electoral register and, if they are not on it, to register before May 5th. The Commission is also operating a voter registration app on Facebook to maximise registration in advance of the referendums.

The app guides people through the simple procedure of checking to see whether or not they are on the register, and downloading the forms required to register if they are not already on the list of those eligible to vote. Those who find they are not registered or are registered at the wrong address can correct this if they get the forms to their local authority on or before May 5th.

The Commission’s App can be accessed from its Facebook page which is at facebook.com/#!/referendumcommission

According to the Chairman of the Referendum Commission, Mr Justice Kevin Cross: “This Facebook App is an easy way for people to check the register and get registered before polling day.  Alternatively people can go straight to checktheregister.ie. One of the primary functions of the Referendum Commission is to encourage people to vote, and encouraging voter registration in this way is an important part of this.”

An online advertising campaign over the next few weeks will direct people to the app which directs people to the simple step by step online procedure of checking the register and applying for inclusion on the supplementary register.  Users of the app will then have the option of, with a click of the mouse, telling all their friends that they have used this app and that others should check the register in this way.

As well as Facebook the Commission will also be active on Twitter during the campaign at @RefCom_ie

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