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A General Election is where we vote to choose who we want to represent our area. The people we choose then go to our national parliament and make laws for us. Our Parliament is called the Dáil.
The local area where we vote for candidates is called a constituency. There are 43 constituencies where we can decide who we want to represent us. Constituencies are based on how many people live in an area and where people live. Constituencies can have three people, four people or five people to represent us.
A polling station is where we go to cast our vote.
The Government provides money for important services like schools, hospitals, roads, homes and transport. The leader of the Government is our Prime Minister, who is called An Taoiseach. We elect the Dáil. The Dáil elects the Taoiseach.
A candidate is a person who is taking part in the General Election. They are seeking your vote for election to the Dáil. If they get elected, they become a Teachta Dála (or TD for short). There will be 174 TDs in the next Dáil. TDs speak for us in the Dáil and vote on laws affecting us.
Some candidates represent a political party, and some candidates are not part of a political party. These are called Independents. Independent candidates represent their voters in their community. They mainly work on local concerns within their constituency.
Candidates call to people’s houses to look for votes and to hear your ideas. You can also see candidates and meet them on the street, or out in public. This is called canvassing. You can see Election Posters of candidates who want to be elected. You will also get leaflets posted in your letterbox. A political party is a group of people who share the same ideas about how to run the country. They want to get into Government to put their ideas into action.
Political parties will release manifestos, which are things they will do if they get elected. If they are elected, they will make laws based on their manifesto.
You can find out more about preparing to vote in the General Election, including information about your own electoral area by visiting the Electoral Commission website.
There are a number of accessibility and accommodations available to you on polling day, to learn more about these check out this guide on the Electoral Commission Website:
In August we published our pre-budget submission which contained a number of recommendations. These recommendations which are linked to the last year’s Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism’s Final Report, are designed to address these systemic challenges holistically, by ensuring that every decision taken is a step towards greater inclusivity, equity, and understanding. Over the past year, AsIAm have been working tirelessly towards ensuring that policy and practices that shape how Government departments and State agencies interact and engage with Autistic people and families change to better support our community.
Our manifesto focuses on actions that will bring Ireland towards a more equal, inclusive and accessible society for the Autistic community. The opportunities for reform across our health services, education, early years, social protection, housing, disability services and community development are far reaching and if the key asks in this manifesto are implemented effectively, Ireland can be the best place in the world to live and grow as an Autistic person.
These General Election Candidate Question cards, which represent the needs, asks and fundamental requirements of the Autistic Community towards the Same Chance in Irish Society, can help you to question Election Candidates that you meet in the coming weeks.
AsIAm in supporting Autistic community members have designed a visual guide to prepare for voting in the upcoming General Election.
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AsIAm, in partnership with Inclusion Ireland is delighted to host “General Election Hustings: Disability Priorities 2024” on 27 November, 2024 at 7pm.
This hustings will focus on the key issues impacting the disability community as we look towards the government. This hustings will focus on Education, Disability (Housing & Supported Independent Living) and Social Protection/Cost of Disability issues.
On the night, there will be an opportunity for community members to hear directly from the main political parties on these key topics. Central to the evening is hearing directly from you as you put your question to the candidates. Please submit your question(s) below in advance before 17:00 on 26 November.
Our policy and advocacy team contributes to important government policy submissions, creates reports, and leads campaigns which aim to change attitudes and raise people’s understanding of Autism. To be kept up to date with the policy team's work, subscribe to our newsletter:
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