2018 Irish presidential election
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The next Irish presidential election will take place in November 2018 at the latest. The incumbent president is Michael D. Higgins, who was elected in 2011. The next election must be held within the sixty days preceding the end of this term, which expires on 10 November 2018. However, if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office, or becomes permanently incapacitated before that date, an election must be held within sixty days of that event.
Procedure
Presidential elections are conducted in line with Article 12 of the Constitution[1] and under the Presidential Elections Act 1993,[2] as amended. The orders for the polling including the date of the election will be made by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.
To stand for election as president, candidates must:
- be a citizen of Ireland
- be at least 35 years of age
- be nominated by:
- at least twenty of the 218 serving members of the Houses of the Oireachtas (parliament), or
- at least four of the 31 county or city councils, or
- themselves, in the case of an incumbent or former president who has served one term.
Potential candidates
The current president Michael D. Higgins may nominate himself. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar suggested that he would support Higgins were he to seek a second term.[3]
Senator Gerard Craughwell has said that he would seek the nomination if Higgins were otherwise to be unopposed.[4][5]
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has also been suggested as a candidate.[6]
References
- ^ Article 12 of the Constitution of Ireland. "Constitution of Ireland". Attorney General of Ireland. October 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ "Presidential Elections Act 1993". Irish Statute Book. Attorney General of Ireland. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ Minihan, Mary (29 July 2017). "Varadkar backing Michael D Higgins if he wants second term". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Finn, Christina (15 August 2017). "'Running for president of Ireland is not something I would do willy-nilly, but we need a contest'". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Dunne, Seán (15 August 2017). "Senator to run against Higgins to ensure election for presidency". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/bertie-ahern-may-run-for-president-if-michael-d-higgins-bows-out-in-2018-35850873.html
