THIS will be my second election since I moved here from the US – but this year is the first time I felt comfortable enough to vote.
Despite having voting rights as a permanent resident in 2008, I was baffled at the idea that I could have a say in government after being here less than two years – especially when a Kiwi would have to become an American citizen to vote in the States.
But as more people move between countries to live and work, the links between citizenship, residency and political involvement are changing – and New Zealand has one of the highest immigration rates in the OECD.
“Quite a few people don’t take out New Zealand citizenship when they live here, sometimes because the country they come from doesn’t allow dual citizenship,” says Dr Kate McMillan (left), senior political lecturer at Victoria University.
New Zealand is one of the only countries in the world that allows permanent residents to vote in national elections.
The right was first established by the Electoral Amendment Act of 1975, and Section 74 of the Electoral Act 1993 specified that permanent residents can vote after living here one year.
Dr McMillan says that allowing residents to vote has a number of practical benefits for the country, such as attracting skilled migrants who can boost the economy.
This was a point of debate in April 2005, when new citizenship rules required residents to live in the country for five years – longer than Australia’s requirement – before they could apply.
“We’re both in a competitive global market for migrants, and Australia has lots of advantages in that competition. There was a concern that if we made it more difficult for people to get citizenship by putting it up to five years, it would be a disincentive for people to come here.
“But the fact we give so many rights to permanent residents, including voting rights, is a benefit that immigrants get from choosing New Zealand over Australia.”
On a social level, allowing these rights to permanent residents helps them feel connected to the country.
“Some countries make citizenship the prize at the end of a road of integration,” Dr McMillan says.
“We are more of a philosophy that citizenship is a path.”
As New Zealand’s population of residents becomes larger and more diverse, political parties are finding it necessary to reach out to those potential voters instead of alienating them.
“In the States, sometimes Republicans get into a ‘who can bash immigrants most’ kind of battle. But that doesn’t really happen here, expect with Winston Peters who seems to have dropped that particular thing this election.”
Still, there can be cases like mine where new residents don’t feel they know enough about New Zealand to make informed decisions. Dr McMillan acknowledges there are some risks involved.
For example, she says, “We draw our jury lists from the electoral roll, and of course permanent residents can be on the electoral roll.
“There could arguably be disadvantages, in that you might have people sitting on a jury who are not very familiar with New Zealand cultural situations.”
But in the end, she believes the benefits of residents voting outweigh the risks.
“I don’t personally think that it detracts from people’s commitment to New Zealand if they don’t take up citizenship, if they are being active through participation in politics. I think that’s innovative and good.”
