USI warns today is final dayto register for vote in election

Registration:The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has warned young people that today is the final day to register to vote in the general election.

It said to register a form must be completed and submitted "immediately" to the appropriate local authority by 5pm today.

USI said persons eligible for a postal vote also faced an application deadline of 5pm today if they had not yet been included on the supplement to the postal voters' list.

USI urged all unregistered voters to go to the website www.citizensinformation.iewhere they could download the appropriate late application form by entering the search term "Registering to Vote".

"Late application forms can also be collected in person from city and county council offices. All parts of the application must be completed according to the instructions. The completed form must then be immediately submitted to the relevant local authority by fax or delivered by hand," it said.

USI president Colm Hamrogue said: "Today is D-day for all unregistered voters to complete an application form and apply to have their details included on the supplement to the register of electors.

"Every vote will count in this election, so every student must take action to ensure they are registered. Young people in particular are an under-represented group. Students risk giving politicians carte blanche to ignore them if they do not take steps to protect their right to be heard."

Meanwhile, the campaign group Rock The Vote also urged students and young people to register before it was too late.

It said they should add their names to the supplementary postal register by the end of the day.

Patrick Cosgrave, executive director of Rock The Vote, said: "It's extremely important that we use our right to vote. In the last general election one candidate in Limerick West won a seat by just one vote. Several other candidates across the country fought extremely tight elections."