Referendum to allow Irish diaspora vote for president to take place before 2024

https://www.independent.ie/news/referendum-to-allow-irish-diaspora-vote-for-president-to-take-place-before-2024-41520690.html

33 comments

  6. If you’ve left the country only recently I could see a reason, FF and FG clear out the young vote every few years with emigration, but there needs to be a limit on time, be it 2 to 3 years maybe?

  7. Non citizens, absolutely not.

    Citizens abroad, I’m open to be persuaded for the President specifically. But I’d be more disposed to adding a couple of TDs to the Dáil for the diaspora and having them represented there (with speaking but not voting rights).

    It would mean more in practical terms, give more prominent and public voice to the diaspora and is less risky for the operation of the state.

  9. If it’s only the vote for president and limited to those that have lived here for at least a small period of time, I don’t see the harm. Most won’t bother to vote at all in any event

  10. Only people with Irish citizenship should be allowed vote for president and they should be allowed vote remotely, no matter where in the world they reside.

    This referendum is to allow Irish citizens living abroad, not Americans with Irish ancestry, nor any other non-citizen descendants.

  12. They are about to let British Citizens who left the UK 15+ years ago vote in general elections which is going to be a disaster. I think they should let diplomats working abroad, defence force members serving abroad and people who have left temporarily for a Working Holiday Visa or to study vote but everybody else should have to be a tax resident in Ireland.

  13. We also shouldn’t be so lax with out citizenship by descent laws you should have to have a grandparent born on the Island of Ireland or we have an Ancestry Visa like the UK does but you have to qualify for a work visa to stay afterwards.

  14. If this passes, people living in New Zealand and never set foot in Ireland would be able to vote for the President but people who went to UCD still couldn’t vote for the Seanad.

    Sounds fair enough to me.

  16. Voting for president is like voting for Eurovision, what difference does it make? Ex pats shouldn’t be allowed vote in general elections though, since we don’t live at home at the moment and aren’t affected by the result.

  18. I’d much prefer if they prioritized some form of absent voting for residents. Like if you’ve booked a week holiday and then the government call an election / referendum during the same week there isn’t any way you can cast a vote… fix that shit.

  19. Why should anyone be allowed to vote for things that don’t directly affect them ?

    If we’re allowing that then I should be able to vote in the UK election etc.

  20. My view is we need less uninformed and misinformed voters and not more of them.

    I don’t see voting as a privilege, I do think it’s a right. But there is too big an imbalance between one sides ability to misinform and the other sides ability to recognise the misinformation.

    It’s not democratic if some people are denied the right to vote. But it’s also not democratic if everyone can vote but some of them are voting based on bullshit.

  21. I’m in favour of the proposal but I’d split the question in two.

    1. Should all Irish citizens on the island, including those in Northern Ireland have the right to vote for President?

    2. Should all Irish citizens, resident in or outside the state, have the right to vote for President?

    I would imagine most people would be in favour of the former.

  23. Born and bred Irishman living abroad the last 20 years – do *not* do this. I’m the first to defend plastic paddies on this sub but the thought of them throwing their 2c into things is not a good idea.

  24. As someone who hold dual citizenship and currently lived abroad on an Irish passport this is interesting as a topic.

    I was allowed to vote against brexit despite living abroad. If I had no dual citizenship that vote would have directly impacted me negatively and there would have been fuck all I could do about it at least I had a say on the matter.

    Now as of last year I still paid tax in Ireland as I was tax resident if some government decided to extend the tax system to that of the US where I pay tax all the time should I have a vote in the matter as it directly impacts me?
    If Ireland decides to Irexit should I be allowed to vote to protect the freedom of movement and other things I like about the EU?
    I think these are worth considering absentee voting if I register correctly. Since I am Irish and have been registered to vote in Ireland and have previously voted in Ireland I don’t see why I shouldn’t be allowed to vote on matters that effect me.

    Now the tricky part. How do you qualify that last part. As a straight man should I have been allowed to vote in the marriage and abortion referendums they don’t impact me at all so I would say no.
    Should I be able to vote as an overseas voter in local elections no I dont think so.
    Ultimately me voting for the president doesn’t change much as they are simple a figurehead and I dont think its worth the effort. But overseas voting for certain things works well for other countries and its interesting to see a lot of comments here dismiss it completely.

    I personally think the UK has a good method. If you have registered in Ireland prior then you can register as an overseas voter. Which is limited on what it can vote on.

  27. My dad was born and raised in Ireland. Immigrated to U.S. and spent most summers in Ireland.
    Now, he only spends winters in U.S. and about 9 to 10 months of the year in Ireland. He has citizenship in both countries and pays taxes in both countries. He votes in both countries.
    I think that is fair. He directly contributes to both countries and is directly affected by the results of those elections.
    I don’t think it’s necessary for people who have never lived or do not currently spend a fair amount of time on a regular basis living in Ireland to vote in Ireland.
    Would someone be willing to explain what the purpose of allowing non-residents to vote in Ireland would be?
    (I do understand this would be the right to vote for president, not in other elections. Just wondering what the intention/ purpose behind this referendum is.

  28. I’d be okay with presidential elections , as the president is just a figure head with no real powers and he/she would also represent them, but general elections is a different story.

  29. The only irish citizens abroad who should be able to vote in our elections should be diplomats and defence forces serving overseas.

  30. I’ve lived in Ireland for nearly 14 years now and I’ve been allowed to vote in American elections this whole time…but I haven’t. It isn’t my home anymore, I made the choice to leave, I shouldn’t get a say in their politics.

    I also know that a lot of Irish Americans are Republicans (in the American sense). We don’t want those people having a say in our country.

    When I lived in America I worked with a couple of people with Irish passports who had never even been to Ireland. Why should they get a say in what happens here? They don’t know the first thing about us and are just as likely to say we’re part of the British Isles or think we’re in the UK.

    If we did decide to open up voting to people abroad then we need to get rid of the Grandfathering and wait a couple of generations.

  32. Michael D, represents the Irish people.
    Unlike a TD.

    Therefore all Irish people, no matter colour, race, accent should have suffrage to appoint their representative.

    You think some are lesser Irish, please explain.

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