Irish law in an international outlier in its restrictions on where its its citizens can vote. The franchise is limited to those resident inside the boundaries of the 26 counties of the republic, with almost no provision for early, postal or overseas voting. Ahead of a planned referendum to extend the right to vote for president to all Irish citizens, including in Northern Ireland and overseas, Naomi and Tim explore the political implications of the current voting system and weigh the arguments for and against change. We hear the case for reform from Irish people from the north, and from people who travelled back to Ireland in the famous ‘Home to Vote’ movements. This episode features a report from the campaign launch of Votes for Irish Citizens Abroad by contributor Michael Lanigan, as well as the voices of ordinary people in Dublin on their hopes and concerns about the proposal.

Editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/

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Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com.

The music you heard in this episode is Night II, by Swelling, and Serial Killer, by John Bartmann.

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