Second National Voter Registration Day Returns to Cork on April 30th with Events Across the City and County

National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) returns for its second year on Wednesday, 30th April 2025, with a strong focus on boosting civic engagement and voter registration across Cork.

The initiative, launched to inform and empower underrepresented communities and young people, will see registration drives take place at multiple locations in the city and county. The aim is to help eligible voters get on the electoral register, learn about their voting rights, and become active participants in Ireland’s democratic processes.

Confirmed Cork Events:

• Weir Street, Gully, Bandon – Run by Cork College of FET Bandon Centre, from 10:00 to 13:00

• Cork City Library, Grand Parade – Hosted by Cork City Council, from 11:00 to 15:00

• St Peter’s Cork, North Main Street – Organised by Mexicans in Cork, from 12:00 to 15:00

Organisers are encouraging people in Cork to visit the NVRD website to check their eligibility to vote, confirm their registration details, and learn about the different types of elections and the roles of public representatives.

The campaign, a collaboration between community leaders, local authorities, and civil society organisations, seeks to close the gap in political participation among minorities and disadvantaged groups.

Liliana Fernandez, Leadership Officer at National Women’s Council (NWC):

“Although things are slowly improving there is still a lack of knowledge about voter rights among many people in Ireland and Cork. This has an impact on civic engagement and representation in Irish politics. This year we are continuing to collaborate with the Electoral Commission (An Coimisiún Toghcháin), Local Authorities, PPNs, Civil Society Organisations and community leaders across the country to inform minorities and young people of their political rights, educate them on the roles of the President of Ireland, TDs and local councillors, the functions of our political institutions, and how to register to vote.”

Brian Hearne, Policy and Communications Manager at the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS):

“We are engaging with a wide range of groups and organisations, and gathering support around Cork for this year’s National Voter Registration Day. We're working to get every eligible voter registered, especially young people and underrepresented groups who are often unaware of their rights at the ballot box. For example, many migrants who have been recently naturalised need to be aware of updating their citizenship status at checktheregister.ie to be able to vote in the upcoming Presidential election. Also, other migrants who do not have Irish citizenship are unaware that they can vote in local elections.”

Committee members also include Leon Diop, CEO of Black and Irish; Zoë O’Reilly, Political Support Worker at National Traveller Women's Forum (NTWF); and Fionnaigh Connaughton, Voter Education Coordinator at Dublin Adult Learning Centre (DALC). Their shared goal is to spark year-round conversations about democracy and participation, beyond election periods.

To date, NVRD has connected with over 60 organisations and aims to make a lasting impact by improving access to voting information and increasing representation among historically marginalised communities.

Tables will be set up at each participating venue to assist people with registering, updating their details, and answering questions about Ireland’s electoral system and voting procedures.

Organisations supporting the campaign include:
An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Electoral Commission), Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Black and Irish, National Traveller Women's Forum, Cork College of FET, Mexicans in Cork, DALC, Focus Ireland, and many more across the country.

More information, including a full list of registration events nationwide, is available at nationalvoterregistrationday.ie.