ELECTORAL (DAIL EIREANN AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES) ACT, 1945

AN ACT TO AMEND THE ELECTORAL ACT, 1923, AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (EXTENSION OF FRANCHISE) ACT, 1935, BY SUBSTITUTING THE 15th DAY OF SEPTEMBER FOR THE 15th DAY OF NOVEMBER AS THE QUALIFYING DATE FOR DAIL ELECTORS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTORS RESPECTIVELY AND TO PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS CONSEQUENTIAL UPON THE SAID AMENDMENTS. [20th March, 1945.]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:—

1 Definitions.

1.—In this Act—

the expression “the Act of 1923” means the Electoral Act, 1923 (No. 12 of 1923);

the expression “the Act of 1935” means the Local Government (Extension of Franchise) Act, 1935 (No. 9 of 1935).

2 Amendment of section 6 of the Act of 1923.

2.—The Act of 1923 shall have effect as if the following section were substituted for section 6:—

“6.—The qualifying date for every register shall be the 15th day of September.”

3 Amendment of section 7 of the Act of 1923.

3.—The Act of 1923 shall have effect as if the following section were substituted for section 7:—

“7.—For the purposes of this Act a person's age shall be taken to be that person's age on the 15th day of September, being the qualifying date.”

4 Amendment of section 8 of the Act of 1923.

4.—(1) The following subsections shall be substituted for sub-sections (1) and (2) of section 8 of the Act of 1923:—

• “(1) One register of electors shall be prepared in every year of persons who were qualified as electors on the previous 15th day of September.

• (2) Every register shall come into force on the commencement of the 15th day of April next after the qualifying date in respect of which such register is made and shall remain in force for one year.”

• (2) The register of persons qualified as Dáil electors on the 15th day of November, 1944, shall, notwithstanding anything in sub-section (1) of this section, come into operation on the 1st day of June, 1945, but shall cease to be in force on the 14th day of April, 1946.

5 Amendments of the First Schedule to the Act of 1923.

5.—The following amendments shall be made in the First Schedule to the Act of 1923—

• (a) in Rule 6, “the 24th day of November” shall be substituted for “the 29th day of January”,

• (b) in Rule 9, “the 22nd day of December” shall be substituted for “the 26th day of February”,

• (c) in Rule 11, “the 6th day of January” shall be substituted for “the 12th day of March”,

• (d) in Rule 12, “the 14th day of December” shall be substituted for “the 19th day of February”, and “the 20th day of January” shall be substituted for “the 26th day of March”,

• (e) in Rule 13, “the 30th day of December” shall be substituted for “the 5th day of March”,

• (f) in Rule 14, “the 20th day of January” shall be substituted for “the 26th day of March”,

• (g) in Rule 16, “the 22nd day of December” shall be substituted for “the 26th day of February”,

• (h) in Rule 23,“the 20th day of January” shall be substituted for “the 26th day of March”,

• (i) in Rule 26, “the 15th day of April” shall be substituted for “the 1st day of June”.

6 Consequential amendment of section 4 of the Local Government Electors Registration Act, 1924.

6.—The references, in section 4 (which applies the Act of 1923 to registration of local government electors) of the Local Government Electors Registration Act, 1924 (No. 7 of 1924), to the Act of 1923, shall be construed as references to the Act of 1923, as amended by this Act.

7 Amendment of section 2 of the Act of 1935.

7.—In subsection (1) of section 2 of the Act of 1935, the expression “qualifying date” shall mean the 15th day of September.

8 Repeal of definition of “qualifying date” in Act of 1935.

8.—The definition (contained in subsection (1) of section 1 of the Act of 1935) of the expression “qualifying date” is hereby repealed.

9 Short title and commencement.

9.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Electoral (Dáil Eireann and Local Authorities) Act, 1945.

• (2) This Act shall come into operation on the 1st day of June, 1945.