Question On Eligibility

Boskowski

Putting the following question out there as it actually concerns myself right now:

As an Irish resident for getting close to 10 years but holder of a non-Irish EU passport I am not eligible to vote in an Irish general election or constitutional referendum.

However, I am wrongly listed as a 'full P' on the electoral register. I tried already to rectify this and despite registering a signed note and a copy of my passport in the local civic office on the advice of the electoral registar (who the civic office was actually on the phone to at the time) I still remain a 'full P 6 months later. (Says something about the effectiveness of work-practice in the register/civic office but thats another story.)

And now I received a voting card for the Lisbon referendum again.

Previously I admitted voting in the first Lisbon here on boards.ie and I was accused of committing a criminal act, voting fraud. I even received a (minor) infraction on boards for admitting to a 'criminal act'.

Does anyone actually have some real information about this? Is this really a criminal act or is it more like an administrative offense, an infraction? I would tend to think its more like the latter and I'd tend to think people accusing me of this are merely assuming rather than actually knowing.

Does anyone know where one could look this up or does anyone happen to actually know what the rules are? Is this a criminal offense (possible record etc) or what is it?

And please don't lecture me and tell what you think it should be or stuff like that. When I learned that it was a mistake on the register that allowed me to vote the first time I did understand that it wasn't right what I did and I also know that not knowing doesn't make it right either.

ei.sdraob

realcam wrote: »

Putting the following question out there as it actually concerns myself right now:

As an Irish resident for getting close to 10 years but holder of a non-Irish EU passport I am not eligible to vote in an Irish general election or constitutional referendum.

However, I am wrongly listed as a 'full P' on the electoral register. I tried already to rectify this and despite registering a signed note and a copy of my passport in the local civic office on the advice of the electoral registar (who the civic office was actually on the phone to at the time) I still remain a 'full P 6 months later. (Says something about the effectiveness of work-practice in the register/civic office but thats another story.)

And now I received a voting card for the Lisbon referendum again.

Previously I admitted voting in the first Lisbon here on boards.ie and I was accused of committing a criminal act, voting fraud. I even received a (minor) infraction on boards for admitting to a 'criminal act'.

Does anyone actually have some real information about this? Is this really a criminal act or is it more like an administrative offense, an infraction? I would tend to think its more like the latter and I'd tend to think people accusing me of this are merely assuming rather than actually knowing.

Does anyone know where one could look this up or does anyone happen to actually know what the rules are? Is this a criminal offense (possible record etc) or what is it?

And please don't lecture me and tell what you think it should be or stuff like that. When I learned that it was a mistake on the register that allowed me to vote the first time I did understand that it wasn't right what I did and I also know that not knowing doesn't make it right either.

if you ever apply for Irish naturalization

and you have any criminal record (that even includes having too many penalty points or being fined for driving without insurance) or ever ended up on the Garda radar for whatever reason

you can forget about receiving your Irish citizenship, since the INIS spend an awful amount of time trying to come up with any possible reason to refuse application

yes there has been cases of people caught without insurance refused naturalization few years later on

so be careful and dont commit any crime if you wish to become a citizen down the road

btw how do you feel about certain NO campaigners making a huge noise about immigration?

/

turgon

Well ... before I give you my advice ... which way you voting?

Boskowski

ei.sdraob wrote: »

if you ever apply for Irish naturalization

I don't intend to. I spent most of my life (growing up, eduaction years, etc) in Germany and living in Ireland for 10 years doesn't make me Irish. It wouldn't feel right. I might feel different if I had genuine disadvantages but as an EU citizen thats not really the case.

ei.sdraob wrote: »

btw how do you feel about certain NO campaigners making a huge noise about immigration?

I am very annoyed with the 'No' campaign as they spill out a lot of lies (like the 'yes' campaign does) while there is genuine reasons for 'No'.

Actually the entire discussion and the levels its been dragged down to leaves a bitter taste. Is it that campaigners think we're all stupid and we need being manipulated? We can't be trusted with their real agendas? It's just one more thing that makes you think that democracy in its current shape just isn't really working out the way it was intended. Well, that and of course the fact that in a real democracy we wouldn't be voting a second time anyway.

Boskowski

turgon wrote: »

Well ... before I give you my advice ... which way you voting?

Haha. To be honest, now that I know I shouldn't be voting, I'd find it difficult to vote again - or at least difficult to admit it publicly.

But if I was allowed to vote, I'd be a 'No' guy.