Presidential elections in Ireland
- Introduction
- When is the next presidential election in Ireland?
- Who can vote in a presidential election?
- Who can run for President of Ireland?
- How does the presidential election work?
- How much can a candidate spend?
- Further information
Introduction
The President of Ireland (Uachtarán na hÉireann) is elected directly by the people of Ireland for a term of 7 years.
The President can then run for re-election for another 7-year term but may not serve more than 2 terms.
When is the next presidential election in Ireland?
A presidential election must take place in the 60 days before the term of the current president ends.
If a President resigns, dies or becomes incapacitated, an election must be held during the 60-day period that follows.
If only one candidate is nominated for the office of President, an election is not needed. This happened in November 2004, when Mary McAleese was inaugurated as President for a second term without an election, as she was the only candidate.
Who can vote in a presidential election?
To vote in a presidential election, you must be:
- An Irish citizen
- Aged 18 or over
- Ordinarily resident in Ireland* and
- Registered to vote
* There are special arrangements for Irish officials on duty abroad (and their spouses or civil partners) who may register on the Postal Voters List.
Who can run for President of Ireland?
To be eligible for election as President, you must be an Irish citizen who is 35 or older. You must be nominated either by:
- At least 20 members of the Oireachtas
- At least 4 local authorities
- Former or retiring Presidents can nominate themselves
How does the presidential election work?
Voting is by secret ballot and based on proportional representation by the single transferable vote.
Most people will vote in person at their local polling station. Postal voting is available to certain people who may be unable to vote in person.
How much can a candidate spend?
The spending limit is €750,000 per candidate. If a candidate is elected, or gets more than 25% of the quota in the election, they can be reimbursed up to €250,000 from the State. Each candidate’s election agent must tell the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) how much the candidate spent.
There are also strict limits on the value of donations to candidates and each candidate’s election agent must report details of donations to SIPO.
SIPO publishes guidelines in advance of an election. SIPO also publishes election reports afterwards, on the donations and spending of the election.
Further information
Presidentialelection.ie is the website of the Presidential Returning Officer.
You can read more about the role and functions of the President here and on president.ie.