Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2017
102. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has raised the subject of Irish citizens' eligibility to vote in UK elections with the Foreign Secretary since July 2016. [25447/17]
View answerThe position regarding eligibility to vote, as set out by the UK Electoral Commission in the context of the current UK general election, is as follows: a person must be registered to vote; must be 18 years of age or over on polling day; must be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen; must be resident at an address in the UK; and must not be legally excluded from voting (i.e. certain convicted persons in detention, etc.).
EU citizens - other than from Ireland, Cyprus, and Malta – cannot vote in UK elections, even if they are resident in the UK.
Irish citizens’ eligibility to vote in UK elections is not linked to the UK’s EU membership and should not be affected by the UK’s exit from the European Union. We do not see this matter being reviewed or changed as part of the exit process.
