Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

172. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of spoiled ballots, specifically with no stamp or official mark on them from the returning officer, that were recorded at the last local election in 2024; the number of such votes recorded per county and local area, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8297/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Local Elections Regulations 1995 provide that a Local Authority Returning Officer, appointed by the Chief Executive of a local authority, is responsible for the conduct of a local election. This includes ascertaining and declaring the results of an election, and furnishing to the local authority a return of the persons elected to be members of the local authority. The Returning Officer is responsible for ruling on the validity of a ballot paper.

My Department compiles and publishes a report after local elections. The report sets out the results in each local electoral area and contains a detailed statistical analysis of the results based on returns received from all local authority Returning Officers. This report includes a breakdown of invalid ballot papers, based on the reason for their invalidity. The report is currently being compiled by my Department and will be published in due course.