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EU Citizens receiving polling cards

  • 01-03-2011 12:15AM
    #1
    ironingbored
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,358 ✭✭✭


    I personally know two EU Citizens who received polling cards for GE11.

    Now, according to the Citizens Information web site:

    The type of election you can vote in depends on your citizenship.The following people are eligible to vote:

    * Irish citizens can vote in every election and referendum
    * British citizens may vote at Dáil, European and local elections
    * Other EU citizens may vote at European and local elections
    * Non-EU citizens can vote at local elections only    .

    Can anyone tell me how an EU citizen (Not UK) could be on the register and vote in a Dail election?

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    ei.sdraob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,376 ✭✭✭ei.sdraob


    ironingbored wrote: »
    I personally know two EU Citizens who received polling cards for GE11.

    Now, according to the Citizens Information web site:

    The type of election you can vote in depends on your citizenship.The following people are eligible to vote:

    * Irish citizens can vote in every election and referendum
    * British citizens may vote at Dáil, European and local elections
    * Other EU citizens may vote at European and local elections
    * Non-EU citizens can vote at local elections only    .

    Can anyone tell me how an EU citizen (Not UK) could be on the register and vote in a Dail election?

    Thanks

    The register is full of mistakes, I had to go down twice and they still put me down into a wrong constituency where i no longer live


  • #3
    Patricide
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,658 ✭✭✭Patricide


    I got sent not 1 but two polling cards(one to my mothers one to me fathers). And I haven't been living at home for the past year.


  • #4
    Bullseye1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,731 ✭✭✭Bullseye1


    Can someone explain why someone from the UK can vote in our GE? Is it limited to Irish people who hold a British passport or can Jimi from Liverpool also vote?


  • #5
    takun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 173 ✭✭takun


    It is a reciprocal arrangement between the UK and Ireland.

    Irish citizens resident in the UK have a vote in UK general elections. UK citizens resident in Ireland have a vote in Irish elections.

    The key is residency. The person must be resident in the constituency in which they vote. So no, Jimi from Liverpool can't just get a boat over and vote. He can only vote if he is resident here and on the register of electors. I'd guess there are a lot more Irish citizens in the UK availing of this than there are UK citizens here, but I am not sure about that.


    People seem to get all riled up about this, but basically these are people who pay tax here and are resident here and it seems fair to me that they have a vote. Probably other EU nationals resident here should also, and I believe there are moves afoot at European level to bring in some such system - where EU citizens would be entitled to vote in elections in the country were they live and pay their taxes.


  • #6
    paul71
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,351 ✭✭✭paul71


    Bullseye1 wrote: »
    Can someone explain why someone from the UK can vote in our GE? Is it limited to Irish people who hold a British passport or can Jimi from Liverpool also vote?


    Discussed on a few treads here already, it is a recipocal arrangement. UK citizens resident in Ireland can vote in Dail elections, just as Irish citizens resident elections can vote in Westminister elections.

    Edit

    Sorry for repeat Takun beat me to it


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  • #7
    .BrianJM
    Subscribers Posts: 2,670 ✭✭✭.BrianJM


    ironingbored wrote: »
    I personally know two EU Citizens who received polling cards for GE11.

    Now, according to the Citizens Information web site:

    The type of election you can vote in depends on your citizenship.The following people are eligible to vote:

    * Irish citizens can vote in every election and referendum
    * British citizens may vote at Dáil, European and local elections
    * Other EU citizens may vote at European and local elections
    * Non-EU citizens can vote at local elections only.

    Can anyone tell me how an EU citizen (Not UK) could be on the register and vote in a Dail election?

    Thanks
    The registration form doesn't ask for much information:
    Name, Address, DoB, and Nationality are the more important parts.
    You could say you're British and get vote. -- Naughty.
    Alternatively, 'forget' to enter nationality and whoever processes the form may assume 'Irish' giving you full voting rights!


  • #8
    takun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 173 ✭✭takun


    Auld-Yin wrote: »
    Alternatively, 'forget' to enter nationality and whoever processes the form may assume 'Irish' giving you full voting rights!

    Or it could be that you registered to vote in the local elections (which you would be entitled to do) and whoever processed the form put you on the wrong register.


  • #9
    John C
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 326 ✭✭John C


    ironingbored wrote: »
    I personally know two EU Citizens who received polling cards for GE11.

    Now, according to the Citizens Information web site:

    The type of election you can vote in depends on your citizenship.The following people are eligible to vote:

    * Irish citizens can vote in every election and referendum
    * British citizens may vote at Dáil, European and local elections
    * Other EU citizens may vote at European and local elections
    * Non-EU citizens can vote at local elections only    .

    Can anyone tell me how an EU citizen (Not UK) could be on the register and vote in a Dail election?

    Thanks

    The OP refers to two EU citizens. We have little other information, but infer they are from mainland Europe.
    - Have they an irish spouse?
    - how long have they been living in the Republic of Ireland?
    - Have they children who were born in the Republic of Ireland?
    Depending on the answers to above questions, they could have been elegible to apply for Irsih citenship!


  • #10
    ironingbored
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,358 ✭✭✭ironingbored


    John C wrote: »
    - Have they an irish spouse?
    Yes
    John C wrote: »
    - how long have they been living in the Republic of Ireland?
    One maybe 5/6 years, the other about 2 years
    John C wrote: »
    - Have they children who were born in the Republic of Ireland?
    Depending on the answers to above questions, they could have been elegible to apply for Irsih citenship!

    They have not applied for Irish citizenship.


  • #11
    Bullseye1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,731 ✭✭✭Bullseye1


    Seems perfectly reasonable. Do you think this might be replicated across the EU?
    takun wrote: »
    It is a reciprocal arrangement between the UK and Ireland.

    Irish citizens resident in the UK have a vote in UK general elections. UK citizens resident in Ireland have a vote in Irish elections.

    The key is residency. The person must be resident in the constituency in which they vote. So no, Jimi from Liverpool can't just get a boat over and vote. He can only vote if he is resident here and on the register of electors. I'd guess there are a lot more Irish citizens in the UK availing of this than there are UK citizens here, but I am not sure about that.


    People seem to get all riled up about this, but basically these are people who pay tax here and are resident here and it seems fair to me that they have a vote. Probably other EU nationals resident here should also, and I believe there are moves afoot at European level to bring in some such system - where EU citizens would be entitled to vote in elections in the country were they live and pay their taxes.


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