Matice birača su važan izvor za istraživanje obiteljske povijesti. Ova zbirka navodi one koji imaju pravo glasovati u Irskoj nakon što se biračko tijelo je jako povećalo slijedeći zakone o Velikoj reformi iz 1832. Informacije dane u ovim zapisima mogu sadržavati: ime, datum i mjesto registracije, ime registra i slika stranice registra.<br><br>The data was compiled by a parliamentary Select Committee tasked with the job of rooting out corruption and vote rigging, after several accusations and allegations had been made. This Committee, known as the “Fictitious Votes” Committee found little evidence of irregular activity. But they did require the police and magistrates to compile registers of those entitled to vote throughout Ireland between 1832 and 1837 under the terms of the reform act.<br><br>In Ireland the electorate consisted of £10 freeholders and leaseholders, £20 leaseholders and freeholders, £50 freeholders and those in Corporation Towns, Cities and Boroughs afforded the right to vote as freemen or paid-up members of one of the trades guilds. As a consequence the electoral registers are very detailed for the cities and towns, especially for the smaller corporate towns where there are no surviving street or trades directories such as Sligo, Clonmel, Cashel, Dungannon, Lisburn, Enniskillen, etc.
