THE GENERAL election is some time away but already some candidates are eyeing those few extra votes that could make the difference between success and failure.
The revision courts to produce the annual live register of electors have been sitting in recent weeks in Co Kerry.
While they are seeing fewer public representatives than normal in attendance, yesterday’s revision court in Tralee saw a number of submissions from Sinn Féin to register new voters.
The annual update of the register, required under the Electoral Act 1992, records changes of residence and new eligible voters, makes deletions and corrects omissions. It has to be completed by February 15th next.
Enumerators, of which Kerry has 38, called door to door last September and October to record possible changes for the draft register. The draft register of eligible electors was published in early November, and the closing date for submissions seeking amendments was November 25th.
TDs and councillors in Kerry were also given the draft registers for inspection.
Claims for all amendments, including those of the enumerators, are now being heard at revision courts, which are open to the public and usually attended by councillors or party activists.
Yesterday’s court in Tralee, presided over by Kerry county registrar Pádraig Burke, dealt with 930 claims. These mainly involved new constituents, change of abode, corrections and coming of age, and a small number of deletions. Most were submitted by enumerators.
A number of suggested deletions were adjourned to Killarney “to clarify matters and to make sure people are not deprived of a vote”, Mr Burke said.
Revision courts have been held in Dingle, Cahersiveen, Killorglin and Listowel for those electoral areas, but so far there were surprisingly few public representatives in attendance, said Mr Burke.
In addition to the 10 enumerators at Tralee’s hearing, Sinn Féin’s Conor Foley, who runs the the party’s office in Tralee was at the court to see to the submissions made by the Kerry North TD Martin Ferris which mainly dealt with registering new voters who had come of age.
Killarney area councillor Danny Healy-Rae yesterday noted he had submitted fewer registration forms than ever before. “The fact the council elections were last year meant a lot of sorting out was done,” he said.
A council spokesman said Mr Ferris had made 30 submissions, the highest number, and Labour’s Marie Moloney, who is the party candidate in the south constituency, had also made submissions.
Earlier this year the Oireachtas library and research unit found Kerry had thousands more voters registered in 2007 than were eligible to do so based on 2006 census figures.