Campaign launched to inform migrants and minorities of their right to vote

Outside the Dáil recently are the founders of the National Voter Registration Day initiative, from left, Brian Hearne from Irish Council for International Students (ICOS), Liliana Fernandez from Common Purpose Ireland and Leon Diop from Black and Irish. The campaign seeks to create an annual national voter registration day every April 30. Photo: Mark Stedman

A campaign aimed at ensuring voter participation by direct provision residents and other minority groupings in Ireland has been launched.

The campaign is being spearheaded by Liliana Fernandez, Programme Manager at Common Purpose Ireland, Leon Diop, Co-Founder of Black and Irish, and Brian Hearne, Policy and Communications Manager at the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS).

The campaign seeks to create an annual national voter registration day every April 30. The organisers say that their main focus is to increase greater political participation among minority groups and young people ahead of the local elections in June.

Liliana Fernandez said: “The first issue is that they don’t know they have the right, so our role here is to inform them. This is an educational campaign.” 

She said that many in the migrant population, including those in direct provision, are not aware that they have the right to vote.

She elaborated: “We are not forcing anyone to vote. But most will be genuinely interested. Many will be running from politics from their home, the reason why they are here. But they will be genuinely interested about participating in a new country, in a new place, as was my own case — I am from Venezuela and I left 10 years ago and I was persecuted because I was in opposition of the government.” 

She continued: “Luckily, I was able to come as a student and once I knew I had the right to participate here, either voting or running for elections, just having the knowledge that I had that right and that Ireland is one of the very few inclusive countries in securing political rights for migrants and other minorities. 

It gave me huge hope of being able to contribute somehow to this country in a democratic process. 

She said that the campaign is collaborating with community leaders across the country to inform minorities and young people of their political rights, educate them on the roles of local councillors, the functions of local authorities, and how to register to vote.

Brian Hearne said: “We are engaging with a wide range of groups and organisations, and gathering support from around the country to create an annual National Voter Registration Day on 30th April. We want to ensure that anyone who is eligible to vote is registered to vote, but in particular, we want to reach underrepresented groups and young people who are often unaware of their voting rights in Ireland. 

"For example, many migrants who do not have Irish citizenship are unaware that they can vote in local elections. Our aim is to have as many voter registration centres as we can throughout Ireland. Arrangements are already underway to have voter registration drives in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, and Kilkenny, and we hope to have more locations confirmed over the coming days.” 

Over 30 organisations from across the country are supporting the initiative.