As voters across the State head to the polls on Friday to choose their next president, there is a large constituency who won’t be able to vote, Irish citizens living abroad.
A referendum, which would have extended the right in time for this presidential election to Irish citizens living outside the Republic, was in early planning for October 2019. However, it was shelved due to Brexit and the pandemic.
We asked readers outside the State for their views on being excluded. Many felt deprived of a say in their “home” and noted how “out of step” the State was with norms across the world.
‘Ireland is my home’
Maeve O’Rourke, who lives in England, is among many recent emigrants who got in touch. She feels “as someone who is working abroad to earn enough to buy a house back home”, she should have a right to vote on Friday. “Whoever wins the election will be my representative worldwide. I don’t agree all citizens should be able to vote, but those with clear ties to Ireland should be.”
Sabrina Quinlan has been in Australia for three years: “I do intend to move home in the future, but the fear of what I’d be returning to is overwhelming. I wish I could vote from Australia.
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