Right_of_Irish_expatriates_to_vote
Right of Irish expatriates to vote
Ineligibility of nearly all Irish expatriates to vote in nearly all Irish elections
At most elections in the Republic of Ireland the electoral register is based on residential address, and the only non-resident voters are those serving abroad on government business; this includes Irish diplomats and their spouses, and Defence Forces and Garda Síochána personnel but not their spouses.[1][2][3] An exception is in elections to the Seanad (upper house) for which graduates voting in the university constituencies (National University of Ireland and Dublin University) may be nonresident.[1][4] A government bill introduced in 2019 proposed allowing non-resident citizens to vote in presidential elections.[5]
Expatriates intending to return to Ireland within eighteen months may retain their Irish address for electoral purposes, but must be present to vote in person.[2][6] Maintenance of the electoral register is inefficient and emigrants often remain listed years after leaving; some return specifically to vote, which is technically illegal but difficult to enforce.[6] There is no requirement of residency for public representatives. Martin McGuinness, as a Derry resident, could not vote in the 2011 presidential election, in which he came third out of five candidates.[7] Chicago resident Billy Lawless was a Taoiseach's nominee to the 25th Seanad.[8]