Presidential Election in Ireland

Rules

The candidates for election must be eligible to become President and must be nominated. The Irish constitution (Bunreacht na hEireann) sets down what these eligibility requirements are. To be eligible for election as President, you must be an Irish citizen and over 35 years old.

You may be nominated as President by at least 20 members of the Oireachtas (that is the Dail and the Seanad) or by at least four local authorities.

A former or retiring President is eligible for re-election and may nominate him/herself.

The election must take place by the date on which the current President's term of office expires but may not take place more than 60 days before this. If the current President is removed, becomes incapacitated, resigns or dies, then an election must be held within the following 60 days.

The Presidential election is by secret ballot and based on proportional representation by the single transferable vote.

Where there is only one candidate nominated for the office of President, it is not necessary to proceed to a ballot for election. This occurred most recently in November 2004 where Mary McAleese was inaugurated as President for a second term without a presidential election as she was the only candidate.

The spending limits in a Presidential electon were reduced in 2011. The limit is €750,000 (was €1.3 million) and the amount a candidate can be reimbursed from the State is €200,000 (was €260,000).