(1) The registration authority shall prepare a list (in this Act referred to as the "special voters list") of persons (in this Act referred to as "special voters") entitled to vote at a Dáil election in accordance with the provisions of Part XIV, at a presidential election in accordance with the said Part XIV (as applied to a presidential election by section 41 of the Presidential Elections Act, 1993), at a referendum in accordance with the said Part XIV (as applied to a referendum by section 29 of the Referendum Act, 1994), at a European election in accordance with Part V of the Second Schedule to the European Parliament Elections Act, 1997 or at a local election in accordance with Part VIII of the Local Elections Regulations, 1995 (S.I. No. 297 of 1995) without removing the names of the special voters from the register of electors.

(2) The registration authority shall enter in the special voters list the name of every elector who applies to be so entered and who satisfies the registration authority that—

(a) such elector is ordinarily resident in a hospital or in a home or similar institution for persons with a physical illness or physical disability and is unable to go in person to vote at the polling place for such elector’s polling district by reason of physical illness or physical disability; and
(b) the physical illness or physical disability is likely to continue for the period of continuance in force of the register of electors in respect of which the application to be entered as a special voter is made.

(3) The special voters list shall be in such form as the Minister may direct.

(4) Part III of the Second Schedule shall apply to an application to be entered in the special voters list pursuant to subsection (2).

(5) An application from a person for entry in the special voters list under this section who, on the date of application, is entered in the postal voters list under section 14(d) then in force shall be deemed not to be a first application for entry in the special voters list for the purposes of Rule 19(c) of the Second Schedule.