Long before Billy Lawless became the first expatriate to serve in the Irish Senate, he was a regular guest at a uniquely Irish event known as the “American wake.” A full-blown going-away party held in a small Irish village, this occasion earned its dour name “because Johnny or Mary were going to the United States and that was probably the last we’d ever see of them,” said Mr. Lawless, a Chicago restaurateur who grew up on the outskirts of Galway. “But that day is gone now. Everything has changed.” Though emigration once implied a dramatic severing of ties, today’s expats are remaining more engaged than ever with the political affairs of their home countries, following local news on the internet and voting from abroad. In a more profound break with old patterns, expats like Mr. Lawless are even taking on political roles in their native countries. Most nations, including 23 of 28 European Union member states, now allow some form of voting for non-resident citizens, said Jean-Thomas Arrighi, a political scientist specializing in the issue at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. Thirteen countries have gone further, establishing “external constituencies,” with representatives directly elected by citizens abroad.
The National Assembly in France has 11 reserved seats for non-resident citizens. Portugal has two reserved seats, and Italy has set aside 11 places in its Senate and seven in Congress. And though non-resident politicians remain few in number, some countries now actually require these candidates to be expats who have lived for a minimum period of time in the constituency they seek to represent, said Mr. Arrighi.
It all marks a significant change from the post-World War II period, when only a handful of countries even allowed expats to vote. “It is the spreading of a new democratic norm,” said Mr. Arrighi. “I think for a very long time, we conceived of migrants as integrating into a country of destination where at some point they would become citizens and embrace the same behavior as the new country they are in. This new phenomenon of transnationalism is changing that, leading to a sustained link and interest in homeland politics.”
… Yet Ireland remains one of a small handful of European countries that have not extended a vote to emigrants—putting Mr. Lawless in the unusual position of performing a political role in a country where he cannot vote in elections. But for a few exceptions, such as diplomats and civil servants, the Irish abroad can only vote for 18 months after they leave the country and must return to cast their ballots in person.
Full Article: Meet Billy Lawless, the Irish Expat Senator Who Can’t Vote – Expat – WSJ.