Transnational Politics and the State : The External Voting Rights of Diasporas

In just two decades, the number of states that have adopted external voting policies has boomed. Today, these policies, which allow emigrants to take part in home country elections from abroad, are widely found in Europe and Latin America. Looking at the cases of Italy, Mexico, and Bolivia, this book examines the motivations and consequences for states that enfranchise citizens abroad. This analysis sheds light on the impact of emigrants in home country politics, the motivations for emigrants to take part in the elections of a country where they no longer reside, and the consequences of this practice on receiving societies.

With a multi-disciplinary approach, this book will appeal to scholars and students of sociology, political science, legal studies, international relations, migration, and transnationalism.

Jean-Michel Lafleur is a Research Associate of the Belgian Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS) and a lecturer at the Center for Ethnic and Migration Studies, Université de Liège, Belgium.