LOCAL Labour Party councillor Joe Leddin has expressed concern at what he deemed a high level of inaccuracies on the electoral register.
Cllr Leddin told the Limerick Post that, while out canvassing over the last few months, he has come across multiple cases of those who are deceased remaining on the register.
This, he said, is resulting in polling cards being issued to the dead at their former address.
Cllr Leddin said that, while the current online registration system in place for voters to add or change addresses is a “huge improvement” on the manual forms of the past, “the biggest issue with the current electoral register is the number of deceased and inaccurate names still registered at addresses”.
“This problem is particularly acute in apartment blocks in the city centre where I have come across upwards of 15 names registered in two-bed apartments, which is obviously not reflective who actually lives there.”
Cllr Leddin believes that residents failing to change their address after a move are a big driver in incorrectly mailed voting cards.
“The only way we can properly resolve this issue is to contact everyone, similar to the annual housing need assessment, and request them to confirm their details within a specific period of time or risk being removed from the register.
“We cannot have significant numbers registered in either apartments or houses without proper oversight or examination as to why there are upwards of 10-15 names in some cases in single household units.
“To ensure the electoral process is properly enforced, the original door-to-door checking by either council staff or those charged with the task of updating the register must be re-introduced,” he concluded.
Cllr Leddin is also behind a movement to have election posters banned from signposts in Limerick in the upcoming local elections.
