The Question

This question is posed on behalf of an ACE user.

I’m looking for examples of countries that allow their citizens to be registered to vote from abroad only when their citizens’ situation in the host country is regulated or legal. In these examples, I am further wondering: what kind of proof is required to register and be allowed to vote? 

Summary of Responses

Overall, PN members offered diverse examples of measures to ensure voters abroad are legal residents or citizens of the country holding the election, citing the following countries: Ecuador, the Republic of South Sudan, Cameroon, and Egypt.

In the case of Ecuador, one PN member noted that both irregular and regular migrants are allowed to vote. However, migrants must be registered in the consulates of the country where they live (regardless of their immigration status). Migrants (regular or irregular) may vote for the president and vice president of the Andean Parliament, and assembly members.  

In the case of the Republic of South Sudan, one PN member noted that refugees have been allowed to vote based on their documentation as refugees in their host country. For example, during the referendum to break away from Northern Sudan, many Southern Sudan citizens living in Uganda voted from Uganda. In this instance proof of their legal status in the host country was their documentation as refugees (certified by the host government and the South Sudanese embassy in Uganda). However, it is unclear whether these requirements apply to South Sudanese refugees attempting to vote outside of Uganda.

In Cameroon, one PN member noted that the Electoral Code permits Cameroonian residents abroad to vote for Presidential elections and referenda in Cameroonian missions in their host countries.  The documentation required in this process includes the National Identity Card and a passport showing the voter’s legal residence in the host country. It is worth noting that upon acquiring citizenship from the host country, migrants lose their Cameroonian citizenship and are therefore not eligible to vote.

Finally, a member from Egypt noted that the country does not allow Egyptian migrants to vote from abroad unless they have legal residency in the host country. The necessary documentation of legal status in the host country includes copies of a valid visa, residency cards, student cards, host country passport, an ID or driver’s license.

External Resources

• Electoral Code of Cameroon

Names of Contributors

• Francisco Barrera
• Victor Hugo Ajila
• Ochana Patrick
• Jersa Kide Barsaba
• Mosotho Moepya
• Richard Guerrieri
• Laila Mudadi
• Enrique Lopez Sanavia
• Atem  Oben Henry Ekpeni
• Ossama  Kamel
• Jean Bosco Hitimana

Para realizar la votación en el extranjero, en los países que ejercen esta práctica, deben hacer un censo o registro electoral, en el cual se identifica a los ciudadanos en los consulados del país de origen, se envían los datos al país de origen, para verificar la existencia de estos ciudadanos, se elabora el censo exclusivo para cada país donde se pretende la votación, se organizan las votaciones y se envían los materiales a los respectivos consulados donde se hará votación, desde luego debe estar normada la votación en el exterior, en la mayoría de países latinoamericanos existe y se practica este procedimiento.

El Ecuador tiene disposiciones que permiten el voto de los migrantes regulares e irregulares porque se basa en una concepción de derechos fundamentales y de vinculación con el país. El procedimiento es el siguiente:

1. Los migrantes deben registrarse en los consulados del país donde residen (no importa su status migratorio y se garantiza la confidencialidad de la información)

2. Elaboración del registro electoral en el exterior.

3. Pueden votar para elegir presidente y vicepresidente, parlamentarios andinos y asambleistas.

4. El voto en el exterior es voluntario

5. El organismo electoral coordina con los consulados del Ecuador en el exterior la organización de las elecciones. Existen campañas de información y difusión.

6. La votación se realiza en recintos adecuados para el efecto. Se considera el número de electores.

Existe la percepción entre los migrantes irregulares que es mejor acudir a los consulados para registrarse porque así se protegen de las autoridades de migración de algunos países (e.j. USA), pese a esto, el Ecuador coordina acciones de los distintos organismos para incrementar la participación electoral en el exterior (organismo electoral, embajadas, consulados, Secretaría del Migrante, medios de comunicación, asociaciones de migrantes, etc.)

Saludos cordiales

This reply is posted on behalf of Ochana Patrick.

The Democratic Republic of South Sudan is one example for the question asked. During their referendum to break away from Northern Sudan, South Sudan Citizens who were in Uganda were registered and allowed to vote from Uganda. The proof is that as immigrants/refugees, their data are well documented in advance by the host government and their embassy and they are issued with certificate indicating their status in the country. The documented info and the certificate is the one used to identify the immigrants status during registration. 

Jersa Kide Barsaba, Thursday 4.00pm

Republic of South Sudan is an example of countries that allow their citizens to be registered to vote from abroad.  The South Sudanese Electoral Law allows the eligible voters who are abroad to register and vote for the Presidential seat only and referendum on condition that they are in possession of a South Sudanese passport and they shall satisfy the following condition:

1. Has been a resident in the geographical constituency for a period not less than 3 months before the date of closure of the electoral register or originates from the geographical constituency.

2. Has a personal identification document or a certificate authenticated at the county or the native or traditional administrative authority, as the case may be as an eligible voter.

3. Has not been registered in any other geographical constituency

4. Be at least eighteen (18) years of age at the date of polling as determined by the Commission prior to registration.

South Africa has previously only allowed citizens absent from the country on government service or membership of households of persons so being absent, to register as voters in the elections of the National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures. For purposes of registration, such persons would be registered in the voting district where the head office of their deprtment would be located in South Africa. Following a successful challenge in the Constitutional Court, legislative proposals are currentlt being considered by Parliament, to enable South African citizens abroad to register and to vote. In this regard, distinction is made for those South African citizens who are ordinarily resident abroad as opposed to those who are ordinarily resident in South Africa but find themselvbes abroad on Election Day and therefore, wish to vote at a South African mission abroad. In the case of the former, the proposal before requires that they must have a valid South African identity document, as well as a South African passport that is current. They can then register only at the South African mission in the host country. Their registration is then allocated to a segment of the voters' roll created for persons abroad. It is further proposed that such a form of registration would entitle them to participate in the elections of the National Assembly only. Persons ordinary resident in South Africa and registered as such but find themselves abroad on Election Day can either apply for a special vote which is administered approximately 2-days before Election Day in the country or a special vote which is administered at a South African mission in their host country approximately 10 days before Election Day. 

  If I recall correctly <and I could be wrong>, the electoral code of the Republic of Georgia as of last summer <2012>, maintained that Georgian citizens abroad had to present a form of legal identification of the state in which they were voting from to their embassy in order to vote in the Georgian election.  There was a lot of speculation that this was done to apply some sort of pressure on illegal migrants.    

Zimbabwe is one of the African countries where citizens are afforded the opportunity to vote for the national house of Assembly and Presidential candidates by way of postal voting to only those on diplomatic missions and armed forces who are on peace keeping missions abroad. Therefore that makes it a right for everybody on a government task able to vote and this is legalized.

Unfortunately, the law of the land does not allow anybody who has been out of the country for a continuous twelve month period to vote unless if deployed by the government.

Zimbabwe is one of the African countries where citizens are afforded the opportunity to vote for the national house of Assembly and Presidential candidates by way of postal voting to only those on diplomatic missions and armed forces who are on peace keeping missions abroad. Therefore that makes it a right for everybody on a government task able to vote and this is legalized.

Unfortunately, the law of the land does not allow anybody who has been out of the country for a continuous twelve month period to vote unless if deployed by the government.

Con relación a las preguntas, el migrante debe ajustarse a las normas de su país si es ilegal, porque puesto al descubierto es factible que retorne a su lugar de origen. El migrante que ingresa legalmente, para ejercer el voto, debe estar debidamente permitido en las leyes que rigen en ese país donde se encuentra. En ambos casos, el migrante debe estar registrado en un censo o padrón electoral de su nacionalidad o del país en que se encuentre, para así quedar facultado para expresar su voto. En la primera hipótesis, el voto puede realizarse en las embajadas o consulados de su país, que deben tener la instrucción de recibir el voto del nacional que vive en el extranjero, ajustándose a los requisitos de raíz política, es decir credencial para votar o identificación personal.

No queda por demás hacer énfasis de que la migración es un fenómeno social que surge por naturaleza humana y por  necesidad individual.   Este movimiento de circularidad,  traspasa fronteras nacionales y extranjeras. Aparece  bajo diversas  y muy variadas circunstancias: la  búsqueda de trabajo para obtener un ingreso, el cambio de lugar laboral,  los estudios de nivel superior para superarse,   el matrimonio foráneo inesperado,   el deseo de reunirse con la familia, los  problemas de salud o   las acciones de violencia e inseguridad,  son algunas de las  causas sustanciales  de éste  flujo migratorio que se da en el hombre y en el espacio territorial.

The Electoral Code of Cameroon allows Cameroonians resident abroad to register and vote for Presidential elections and Referendum in the various Embassies and High Commission including special registration and voting centers suggested by the Embassies and validated by the Ministry of External Relations and the EMB. To be legally eligible to carryout this civic responsibility as a Cameroonian citizen resident abroad, you must be in position of your National Identify Card and your regular passport that permit you to live legally in the Country. One peculiar aspect of Cameroon's constitution is that as a Cameroonian you automatically loose your nationality once your acquire a different nationality other than that of Cameroon. This means all who have had passports of different nations are not eligible to be registered in to the electoral roll thus can't vote whether in or out of Cameroon.

However, the required document by law to get registered is a National Identity Card. Most often and as the law provides, the EMB may institute special measures to ensure the credibility of the electoral roll for the diaspora, meaning illegal immigrants may not have the opportunity to register in line with respecting international immigration rules and the laws of the foreign nation concern.

Egypt is one of those countries, where voters living abroad are not allowed to participate in parliamentary and presidential elections as well as referenda unless they have legal residency in the host countries. The proofs required of their residency are copies of valid visa, residency cards, students' cards, host country passport, ID or driving license. 

Au BURUNDI, les Burundais qui remplissent les conditions d'un électeur sont autorisés à voter pour les élections présidentielles via les ambassades du BURUNDI à l'étranger. Les résultats sont transmis au BURUNDI pour être compilés avec ceux recueillis sur le territoire national. Pour les autres types d'élection à savoir les législatives, les sénatoriales, les communales et les collinaires, les Burundais résidant à l'étranger ne sont pas permis à voter.