Editing President of Ireland (section)

==Selection==
{{Main|Irish presidential election}}
The president is [[direct election|directly elected]] by [[secret ballot]] using the [[instant-runoff voting]], the single-winner analogue of the [[single transferable vote]].<ref group="n">While Article 12.2.3° specifies "[[proportional representation]] by means of the single transferable vote", the Constitution Review Group and the All-Party Oireachtas Committee both recommend deleting "proportional representation", which does not apply to a single-winner election.</ref> Under the Presidential Elections Act, 1993 a candidate's election formally takes place in the form of a 'declaration' by the [[returning officer]].<ref>[http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1993/en/act/pub/0028/ Presidential Elections Act, 1993] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119080457/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1993/en/act/pub/0028/ |date=19 January 2012 }} Irish Statute Book</ref> Where more than one candidate is nominated, the election is 'adjourned' so that a ballot can take place, allowing the electors to choose between candidates. A presidential election is held in time for the winner to take office the day after the end of the incumbent's seven-year term. In the event of premature vacancy, an election must be held within sixty days.<ref name="coiart12-3"/>

Only resident [[Irish nationality law|Irish citizens]] aged eighteen or more may vote; a 1983 bill to extend the right to resident [[British citizen]]s was ruled unconstitutional.<ref>[http://www.supremecourt.ie/supremecourt/sclibrary3.nsf/%28WebFiles%29/3B9009F8586D9528802575F3002DA959/$FILE/Electoral%201983_%5B1984%5D%20IR%20268.htm In the Matter of Article 26 of the Constitution and in the Matter of The Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 1983] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817220309/http://www.supremecourt.ie/supremecourt/sclibrary3.nsf/(WebFiles)/3B9009F8586D9528802575F3002DA959/$FILE/Electoral%201983_%5B1984%5D%20IR%20268.htm |date=17 August 2010 }} Supreme Court</ref>

Candidates must be Irish citizens and over 35 years old.<ref name=citizensinfo>{{cite web|url=http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/elections_and_referenda/national_elections/presidential_election.html|title=Presidential Election in Ireland|publisher=Citizens Information Board Ireland|access-date=30 November 2011|archive-date=28 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128223256/http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/elections_and_referenda/national_elections/presidential_election.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="coiart12-4">Constitution of Ireland: Article 12.4</ref> There is a discrepancy between the English- and Irish-language texts of Article 12.4.1°. According to the English text, an eligible candidate "has reached his thirty-fifth year of age", whereas the Irish text states "{{lang|ga|ag a bhfuil cúig bliana tríochad slán}} (has completed his thirty-five years)". Because a person's thirty-fifth year of life begins on their thirty-fourth birthday, this means there is a year's difference between the minimum ages as stated in the two texts. However, the Irish version of the subsection prevails in accordance with the rule stated in Article 25.5.4°. Various proposals have been made to amend the Constitution so as to eliminate this discrepancy.<ref>{{cite web |archive-date=21 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721123405/http://www.constitution.ie/publications/irish-text.pdf |url=http://www.constitution.ie/publications/irish-text.pdf |title=Bunreacht na hÉireann: A study of the Irish text |first=Micheál |last=Ó Cearúi |publisher=Stationery Office |location=Dublin |year=1999 |pages=132–4}}</ref> The [[29th Government of Ireland|29th government]] introduced the [[Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2015|Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President) Bill 2015]] to reduce the [[age of candidacy]] from 35 to 21, which was put to referendum in May 2015;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/government-clears-way-for-referendum-to-reduce-presidential-candidate-age-to-21-30840687.html|title=Government clears way for referendum to reduce presidential candidate age to 21|last=McConnell|first=Daniel|date=16 December 2014|work=[[Irish Independent]]|access-date=26 January 2015|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721011400/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/government-clears-way-for-referendum-to-reduce-presidential-candidate-age-to-21-30840687.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=28035&&CatID=59|title=Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President) Bill 2015 (Number 6 of 2015)|work=Bills 1997–2015|publisher=Oireachtas|access-date=26 January 2015|date=22 January 2015|archive-date=15 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215152636/http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=28035&&CatID=59|url-status=live}}</ref> the bill was heavily defeated, with approximately 73% of voters voting against.

Presidents can serve a [[term limit|maximum of two terms]], consecutive or otherwise.<ref name=irlpres/> They must be nominated by one of the following:<ref name=irlpres>{{cite web | title =Office of the President | publisher =president.ie | year =2005 | url =http://www.president.ie/index.php?section=15&lang=eng | access-date =11 August 2007 | archive-date =8 August 2007 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070808025457/http://www.president.ie/index.php?section=15&lang=eng | url-status =live }}</ref>
* At least 20 members of the Houses of the [[Oireachtas]];<ref name="coiart12-4"/> (there are 234 members)
* At least four [[Local government in the Republic of Ireland|county or city councils]]<ref name="coiart12-4"/> (there are 31 councils)
* Themselves (in the case of incumbent or former presidents who have served one term).<ref name="coiart12-4"/>
Where only one candidate is nominated, the candidate is deemed elected without the need for a ballot.<ref name="coiart12-4"/> For this reason, where there is a consensus among political parties not to have a contest, the president may be 'elected' without the occurrence of an actual ballot. Since the establishment of the office this has occurred on six occasions.

The [[2018 Irish presidential election|most recent presidential election]] was held on 26 October 2018.