On Friday, 26 October, the Irish electorate will vote on whether to remove the word 'blasphemous' from article 40 of the constitution. Currently, the constitution says that publishing or saying something blasphemous is a criminal offence and punishable by law with a fine of up to €25,000.
On polling day, voters will be given two ballot papers: a green ballot paper for the referendum, and a white ballot paper for the presidential election. For more information, visit the Referendum Commission website.
The Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann) is a legal document which sets out how Ireland should be governed and the rights of the people. The constitution can only be changed by a referendum.
In order to vote in a referendum, you must be over 18 years of age and registered to vote. Each local authority is responsible for compiling and publishing a list of voters in its area. This is called the Register of Electors. Anyone can inspect this Register. It is available in all local authority offices, post offices, Garda stations and public libraries. You can use checktheregister.ie to check to see if you are on the Electoral Register.
Students under the age of 18 cannot vote in this referendum. Students could discuss the history of voting in Ireland using this lesson activity called 'Who in Ireland is entitled to vote?'. Below is a MOCK poll for students under 18 to share their views on the upcoming proposal to amend the constitution...
Learn about the meaning of democracy and the need for rules.
Learn about the articles in the constitution
See the differences between elections and referendums.
RTÉ Archives is home to Ireland’s largest collection of audiovisual material. Combining hundreds of thousands of hours of moving image and sound recordings together with significant collections of photographs, manuscripts and administrative documents.
Students could use the RTÉ Archives to investigate the referendums of the past in Ireland. Below, students can watch the public reaction to the referendum on divorce, proportional representation and same-sex marriage. For more RTÉ Archives videos, click here.
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