Formal access to local political spaces in the local context: immigrant voters and elected in Portuguese municipalities and parishes

Summary: Since 1996 Portugal is one of the few European countries where local-level voting rights and rights to eligibility are not only extended to EU citizens but also include foreigners from Portuguese community countries and countries that grant similar rights to Portuguese emigrants. Institutions such as Commission of European Communities or the Portuguese High Commissariat for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue (ACIDI) consider this policy to be a key element towards the political integration of immigrants. However, after three rounds of municipal elections in 1997, 2001 and 2005 a scientific assessment of this option is still pending. The scarce available statistical data presents a puzzling trend: only a small minority of those that are eligible actually register to vote, yet a disproportionately large number of foreigners hold elected offices in municipal councils or assemblies and parish assemblies. The aim of the study is to discover the reasons for immigrants’ decisions to register as voters and to run for office in Portuguese local elections. This entails explaining abstention from voting and electoral choices, as well as analyzing differences between three rounds of elections. As existing work has almost exclusively focussed on the region of Lisbon, the project involves a nation-wide sample covering urban and rural constituencies. Research will focus on local level politics in municipalities and parishes, but also explores possible links to regional, national and trans-national levels. This includes a consideration of European Union policies, the role of national representative organisations, as well as trans-national ties with organisations in countries of origin. Government discourse considers local powers and participation to be pillars of democracy. In the case of immigrants, the lack of relevant statistics makes such an orientation difficult to monitor. Thus, improving official policies towards evaluating the impact of immigrant-voting rights is an important applied objective of the project.