Should migrants get the right to vote? 

Currently, only Irish and British citizens over the age of 18 have the right to cast a ballot on Friday. 

Citizens of the European Union can vote in elections to the European Parliament, while all people resident in the State can participate in local elections. 

For some this might seem non-controversial but for migrant rights campaigner Teresa Buczkowska, it is something that she would dearly love to see changed. 

Ms Buczkowska has been living in Ireland for 19-years and has paid her taxes; however, on Friday, she will not be voting because she is a Polish citizen.

“Even though, people who will be elected on Friday will be deciding about my life for the next five-years,” she told The Hard Shoulder. 

“Democracy is always work in progress; over 100-years ago, people granted voting rights to Irish women. 

“At that time, that idea was, for so many people, preposterous.

“Right now, I know that the idea of voting rights for migrants might also sound weird but we have to think about what is the realistic implementation of democracy? I’ve been living in this country for 19-years, why can’t I vote? Why can I not participate in making decisions for this country?” 

A polling station: Sam Boal /Rollingnews.ie.

Ms Buczkowska noted the migrant population is only likely to increase in the years ahead and feels the fact that so few have the vote undermines the spirit of a democratic society. 

“One-in-seven people living in Ireland are migrants,” she said. 

“So, when we have such a large number of people unable to cast a vote, what’s the value of our democracy? What’s the strength of our democracy?”

Although she still has the right to vote in Polish elections, Ms Buczkowska said she would much rather vote in Ireland. 

“I haven’t been living in Poland for 19-years and I haven’t been paying my taxes for 19-years,” she said. 

“So, even though I still have voting rights in Poland, I don’t really do that anymore because it doesn’t feel right making decisions for Polish people.”

The polling station at Glasnevin National School in Dublin. Photo Leon Farrell/Rollingnews.ie

In an ideal world, Ms Buczkowska said all people living in Ireland would have the right to vote after living in the country for a certain period. 

“I feel that because there are so many barriers to citizenship, I feel it would be fair voting rights for migrants who have been here for five-years,” she said. 

“If you are here for five-years, you can apply for citizenship.

“So, if you are here and you are entitled to citizenship, you should be entitled to vote.” 

Polling takes place on Friday, November 29th.

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Main image shows a person casting a vote. Image by: roibu / Alamy Stock Photo