Electoral register is cleaned up ahead of Galway West Bye-Election vote
Hundreds of names have been removed from the electoral register in Galway West since voters last went to the polls in a Dáil election.
The total electorate in this constituency in the General Election in 2024 was 103,713, but this has fallen to 103,479 for the Bye-Election on May 22.
This includes 50,608 voters within Galway City Council’s jurisdiction, and 52,871 voters in Galway County Council’s area including Connemara, the islands and the eastern part of the constituency towards Oranmore and Claregalway.
The total electorate, according to An Coimisúin Toghcháin, includes people eligible to vote who joined the electoral register by May 5.
This could include first-time voters including those who turned 18 since the General Election, or new residents of Galway West.
Including newly registered voters who joined the electoral register by May 5, according to the data, supplied by the local authorities to the Independent Electoral Commission, there are 234 fewer voters eligible to vote in the Bye-Election compared with the General Election.
“The reason for the slight decline in the figures from the General Election electoral figure is related to positive work being done by franchise teams in both Galway City and County Councils to clean up the register by removing duplicate entries, people who have moved away or deceased,” explained Brian Dawson, a spokesperson for the Electoral Commission.
“This work in cleaning up and making the register more accurate is being done alongside adding new people who have registered,” he added.