Election chances 62% lower for  migrant-background candidates 

A third of local election candidates from a migrant background said they experienced racism and harassment frequently, with social media cited as the main environment where this took place

Racism and harassment saw a quarter of migrant candidates limit posters. Picture: RollingNews.ie

If an election candidate is of a migrant background, their chances of being elected drop by 62%, according to new research.

The local elections this year saw an increase both in the number of migrant candidates running and in the number elected. Alongside this was a rise in the trend of political violence targeting these candidates.