Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Irish Parliament, the Oireachtas. The lower house is called Dáil Éireann. There are 60 members, called Senators. 11 Senators are nominated by the Taoiseach, 43 Senators are elected by panels representing vocational interests, and 6 Senators are elected by graduates from specific higher education institutions.
Currently, in Seanad elections, the six "University" Senators are elected by two three-seat constituencies: the National University of Ireland (NUI) and the University of Dublin (Trinity College Dublin/TCD). However, for Seanad elections held after 1 June 2025, these six Senators will be elected by the new Higher Education constituency.
The Higher Education constituency is a new constituency for Seanad Éireann. The electors in this constituency will be able to elect six Senators to Seanad Éireann. The register of electors for this constituency is updated annually. It is managed by the Central Registration Authority (CRA) established under the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Act 2024.
Elections take place every five years or within 90 days once Dáil Éireann is dissolved. Elections for the 27th Seanad will take place in January 2025.
Six Senators will be elected by the Higher Education constituency.
The first register for the Higher Education constituency will be published on the 1 April 2025. From 2026 onward, the register will be published on 1 June each year.
The register is a public document. It includes the first names, surnames, current addresses, and ballot paper addresses of registered voters in the Higher Education constituency. It does not include PPS numbers, qualification details, or dates of birth.
If you miss the deadline of 26 February 2026, you will not be able to submit an application to be added to the second register for the Higher Education constituency.
However, the register will be open again for new applications in 2027. The deadline for applications for the 2027 register will be 26 February 2027, and annually thereafter.
If you received an email from SeanadVoter.ie confirming that you were added to the 2025 Register of Electors, then you do not need to reapply.
Elections held after 31 May 2025 will be on the basis of a new Higher Education constituency and a new register. You must register for the new Seanad Éireann Higher Education constituency if you want to vote in elections in future. You will not be automatically registered for the new Higher Education constituency, even if you were on the NUI or Trinity College Dublin registers.
The easiest way to register is online at www.SeanadVoter.ie.
You can also download a paper copy of the application form on this website and submit it by post to:
SeanadVoter.ie
PO Box 13784
Dublin 2
Ireland
The deadline for applications is 26 February 2026.
You are eligible to register if you:
To be eligible to register, you must hold a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctoral degree from a designated institution.
Certificates, diplomas, higher diplomas, and honorary degrees cannot fulfil this requirement.
To be eligible to apply, you must have received a degree from a designated institution. The “designated institutions” are the National University of Ireland, the University of Dublin (Trinity College Dublin), and institutions that are designated under the Higher Education Authority Act 2022.
The definition includes institutions that have been dissolved and had their functions transferred to a designated institution.
There is a pathway within the HEA Act 2022 that will allow for the addition of institutions in the future subject to engagement with the Higher Education Authority. This is not within the SeanadVoter.ie remit.
A full list of designated institutions is available here.
No, registration is free.
The deadline for applications to be included in the 2026 register is 26 February 2026.
The register of electors will include the following details for everyone on the register:
Unfortunately, it is not possible to register as an anonymous elector for the Higher Education constituency, as there is no provision for this under the current legislation.
Providing your PPS number (PPSN) will allow a basic check to help confirm your identity details and help to protect the integrity of the register. PPSNs will not appear on the register.
You must upload evidence of citizenship, which can be a photo or scanned copy of your valid Irish passport or Certificate of Naturalisation. If you do not provide your PPS number, you must provide a photo or scanned copy of a completed Witness form.
If you do not wish to or cannot provide your PPS number, you must submit a Witness form. This form must be completed and signed in the presence of a member of the Garda Síochána, a Notary/Notary Public, or a registered medical practitioner. This form is available at SeanadVoter.ie. Once completed, a photo or scanned copy can be included in your online application.
Please check the application details and document(s) you submitted and ensure that all information is correct and up to date. This may include formatting and content of fields such as date of birth or PPS number.
If you cannot provide a valid Irish passport or certificate of naturalisation in your application, please contact applications@SeanadVoter.ie.
Please do not upload your driving licence in your application, as we cannot accept this as proof of citizenship.
If you cannot provide a valid Irish passport or certificate of naturalisation in your application, please contact applications@SeanadVoter.ie.
Please check that you have not included an extra space, full stop, or other character at the end of your email address.
This can be a problem, particularly if you copy and paste your email address.
Registered voters, who are included on the published register of electors for the Higher Education constituency, will be able to vote in this constituency.
If you are on the register, you will receive voting materials by post. These will be sent to the address for ballot papers that you provided in your application to register. These materials will include:
Yes, you can vote by post from abroad. Your voting materials will be sent via registered post, so please ensure your address for ballot papers is up to date.
The Seanad Éireann elections that took place in January 2025 used the National University of Ireland (NUI) and the Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Seanad Éireann Registers of Electors published in June 2024.
Elections held after 31 May 2025 will be on the basis of a new Higher Education constituency and a new register. You must register for the new Seanad Éireann Higher Education constituency if you want to vote in elections in future.
The Seanad Éireann elections that took place in January 2025 used the National University of Ireland (NUI) and the Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Seanad Éireann Registers of Electors published in June 2024.
Elections held after 31 May 2025 will be on the basis of a new Higher Education constituency and a new register. You must register for the new Seanad Éireann Higher Education constituency if you want to vote in elections in future.
A bye-election is an election that is held when a vacancy in the membership of Seanad Éireann occurs due to the death, resignation, retirement or disqualification of a member. A bye-election will be held to fill the vacated seat.
If a member of the 27th Seanad, who was elected by the NUI or Trinity College Dublin constituency in January 2025, was to vacate their seat, a bye-election would be held in the Higher Education constituency. Graduates of NUI or Trinity College Dublin, who have declared they want to be included in bye-elections in their application to register, would be eligible to vote in this bye-election.
NUI Reference Numbers were sent in a letter in December 2024 to all electors on the NUI Register of Electors. This number could be used up to 23 January 2025 to register for the new Higher Education constituency.
The provision for using NUI Reference Numbers was only in place for applications for the 2025 register.
Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Alumni Numbers were sent in a letter in December 2024 to all electors on the TCD Register of Electors. This number could be used up to 23 January 2025 to register for the new Higher Education constituency.
The provision for using TCD Alumni Numbers was only in place for applications for the 2025 register.
If you have not yet applied to be added to the 2026 register, please use your up-to-date and correct details in your application.
If you were added to the 2025 register, you can update your registration details.
You can update your details by completing an Update Personal Details Form and submitting it by email to applications@SeanadVoter.ie, or by post to SeanadVoter.ie at P.O. BOX 13784, Dublin 2.
When contacting SeanadVoter.ie, please reference the Application Number you received when you submitted your application to register.
Yes, you can request to have your name removed from the register by submitting a written request by email to applications@SeanadVoter.ie, or by post to SeanadVoter.ie at P.O. BOX 13784, Dublin.