The counting of votes for the Irish Senate begins today. As a graduate of the National University of Ireland, UCD I had expected to have a vote. As a member of the Alumni Association (and a regular recipient of the lovely colour magazine produced by the University Alumni office) I should have received my ballot paper by registered post.
My wife is also a graduate of the same university and likewise has given the Alumni Association her current address (which happily is the same as mine).
Neither of us have received ballot papers. Unfortunately I ran out of time to chase this up with the University authorities but…
…if they can send me the Alumni newsletter to my home why didn’t I get my ballot paper? These were supposed to have been sent by registered post, so I would have expected a ‘non-delivery’ notice from An Post if we weren’t there.
Perhaps the State Electoral register isn’t the only electoral register which has ‘issues’? I wonder if any other UCD graduates failed to receive their Senate ballot papers?
You don’t get automatically put on the register, you have to apply to the NUI – the UCD alumni office has nothing to do with it. Supposedly you get an application form at the time you’re conferred. You can download one at http://www.nui.ie/elections. I think you had to be registered by the end of 2006 to vote in this year’s Seanad elections.
Eimear
Thanks for the input. I was conferred in 1998 when I graduated from UCD and ticked the various boxes and filled relevant forms etc then to be registered to vote.
I voted in the last Seanad elections. This time round, no vote. I’ll download the form you link to and save it for the next time!