Make migrants vote count

Posted on Posted in Belfast Friendship Club, Events, integration and participation, voter registration, voter registration for migrants in Northern Ireland

Registering to vote in Northern Ireland

Migrant worker, international student, asylum seeker, refugee, jobseeker, or living here as someone’s partner or dependant, or for any other reason?

If you are from the Commonwealth or European Union, you may be able to vote in Northern Ireland.

People must register on or before 27 September 2013.

Am I entitled?

If you are a European national or a Commonwealth national* and you have been residing lawfully in Northern Ireland since 15 July, you are eligible to vote.
This applies regardless of a person’s immigration status and therefore asylum seekers are included.
Citizens of Zimbabwe and Fiji are also included*.
You can find the list of eligible countries here: http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/who_can_register_to_vote.aspx

How do I register?

You can download the registration form here:
http://www.eoni.org.uk/getmedia/60158470-428a-4377-8e33-c1440dec1e44/Final-Canvass-form-1-%2822-August%29
The registration form is also available in Irish, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak and Ulster Scots: http://www.eoni.org.uk/Register-To-Vote/Forms-in-other-Languages
The deadline to register is 27 September 2013.

Can I get help?

You can get help with registering at the next meetings of Belfast Friendship Club, Thursday 19 September and Thursday 26 September.

To promote integration and participation, Peace for Africa and Belfast Friendship Club want to encourage all eligible migrants in Northern Ireland to register for voting.

Electoral identity card

People who register to vote are entitled to apply for an electoral identity card. You can go to the Electoral Office with their original ID document and have your photograph taken at no cost (Electoral Office for NI, 2nd Floor, St Anne’s House, 15 Church Street, Belfast BT1 1ER). See here for the list of ID: http://www.eoni.org.uk/Electoral-Identity-Card/How-to-apply
This card can be used as a temporary ID card when your ID documents are held by the UK immigration services.

*Note:

UK and Irish nationals and other Commonwealth citizens can vote in all elections.  Citizens of Zimbabwe and Fiji (countries that have been suspended from the Commonwealth) keep their voting rights.

EU nationals who are not also citizens of Commonwealth countries can vote in Northern Ireland Assembly, European and local council elections, but not in UK Parliament elections.