At stake in this referendum:

• The 37th amendment to the Constitution of Ireland

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Michael D. HIGGINS
• Head of Government: Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo VARADKAR
• Assembly: Ireland has a bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) that consists of the Senate (Seanad Éireann) with 60 seats and the Parliament (Dail Éireann) with 166 seats.

Electoral requirements:

• Proposed amendments to the Constitution that pass both houses of Parliament are put to a popular vote. Referendums require a simple majority to pass. 

About the referendum:

• The referendum would remove the word ‘blasphemous’ from the Constitution as an “offence which shall be punishable in accordance with law”

Main provisions in the referendum:

• Do you approve of the proposal to amend the Constitution contained in the undermentioned bill?*

*Thirty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution (Repeal of offence of publication or utterance of blasphemous matter) Bill 2018

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 4,803,748 (2018 est.)
• Registered Voters: 3,202,442 (2011)

Gender Data:

• Female Population: 2,420,456 (2018 est.)
• Is Ireland a signatory to CEDAW: N/A
• Has Ireland ratified CEDAW: Yes, Accession (23 December 1985)
• Gender Quota: Yes (Parliament)
• Female candidates in this election: Yes
• Number of Female Parliamentarians: 35 (Parliament); 18 (Senate)
• Human Development Index Position: 8
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

• Is Ireland a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)
• Has Ireland ratified CRPD: No
• Population with a disability: 733,846