How Irish Americans can vote in this year’s US elections.Getty Images
The US Embassy in Dublin provided a briefing. American citizens living in Ireland will be able to vote in the 2024 federal elections for the House of Representatives, Senate, and US President.
The U.S. Embassy said in a statement that many federal races for Congress and the Senate have been decided by close margins, often with fewer votes cast by absentee voters.
The embassy said anyone wishing to vote in the upcoming federal election must complete the new Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) after January 1, 2024.
The FPCA allows American citizens living abroad to request absentee ballots for federal elections, including primaries and special elections held throughout the year.
The FPCA is approved by all local election officials in every state and territory in the United States and can be completed online and can be accessed here.
The embassy is advising all American voters living in Ireland to request that a blank ballot be sent by email, internet download, or fax.
States send out ballots at least 45 days before a regular election, and primary election ballots typically go out 30 days before an election is held.
Some states allow voters to vote electronically, while others require voters to return paper ballots to local election offices.
In that case, voters can vote for free at the US Embassy, 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin, or the US Consulate General, 223 Stranmillis Road, Belfast.
Voters who prefer a paper ballot should place their completed ballot in a postage-paid return envelope or an envelope with sufficient U.S. domestic postage. Ballots must be addressed to the relevant local election official.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy is advising Irish citizens to research candidates and issues ahead of the upcoming federal election on the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website.
FVAP will periodically send information about election dates and deadlines through voting alerts. Subscribe by emailing vote@fvap.gov or follow his FVAP on Facebook or Twitter.
American citizens living in Ireland can vote from abroad, but Irish citizens living abroad who wish to vote in Irish elections are not afforded the same rights.
However, the Irish Constitutional Convention’s 2013 report recommended that Irish citizens living outside Ireland should also have the right to vote in Irish presidential elections.
The Irish government therefore intended to hold a referendum on whether Irish citizens abroad would be able to vote in the Irish presidential election. The referendum was planned for 2019 but was ultimately postponed, mainly due to Brexit and then coronavirus.
Votingrights.ie continues to advocate for the right to vote for the Irish Diaspora.