Next Friday, March 8, I will be voting for the first time in Ireland, an honor and a privilege — and quite honestly beyond exciting. I have been waiting for this day since I received my Irish citizenship papers in 2018, thanks entirely to Ireland-born grandfather Thomas John McDermott. And certainly, I have been itching to be inside a voting booth since I arrived in Ireland in April, 2020. Among the many differences between the American and Irish voting systems, elections for local and national seats occur every 5 years instead of every 2 or 4, so I’ve been waiting quite some time! You know, there is a sense almost palpable in some political corners that democracy is outdated, compromised by bots, a commodity to be bought and sold, essentially. But I say the alternative doesn’t bear consideration. Bring the ballot!

I’m about to take a deep dive into elections and I realize it isn’t everyone’s idea of a fun time. So I won’t be offended at all if you stop reading at this point. For those brave souls who wish to continue, here goes.

So, first, let’s talk about the Irish electoral system generally, as I find it quite instructive. The operative word for me is sane. This is a sane system.

The ghost of the American champion of campaign finance reform John McCain, for instance, would be agog in Ireland. I remember being in Maine at Christmas and, with the New Hampshire primaries around the corner, the airwaves were bombarded with campaign ads – had been for some time, I learned. They jarred me, frankly. Meanwhile, back at the Irish ranch, I kept waiting for the March 8 campaigning to begin. It kept not happening. So here’s the deal. Campaigning can’t commence until 30 days before the election. Think about it. No long, long, long season of endless ads and lawn signs. You have a month to make your point. But wait! There’s more. Candidates for local and national office have campaign finance limits – no more than €45,200 for those seeking election to the Dail Eireann (the closest equivalent being the American House of Representatives) and no more than €13,000 for those seeking election to county seats (except for the large cities, there is no municipal government in Ireland). What a concept, eh, ghost of John McCain?

In order to make voting more accessible, the Electoral Reform Act was passed in 2022. Among the measures, there is a proviso to allow anonymous registration for those whose safety might be at risk if their names appeared on the public register (ie, domestic violence victims); another proviso to facilitate registration for those with no permanent address (ie, the homeless); and a system to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister so they’re all set to vote when they turn 18. Sane, compassionate measures, wouldn’t you say?

Ireland has a parliamentary democracy, meaning that the prime minister, or taoiseach (tee-shuck), is decided by the party that has the highest number of delegates in the Dail Eireann. (The Seanad, or Senate, is not directly elected but chosen largely by the party in power and others, and is much weaker than the Dail.  I don’t quite get the concept, but there you have it.) There is a president, but her or his position is largely ceremonial. The taoiseach runs things.

As an American voter, I have long railed against the two-party system. It’s unworkable and unfair. In Maine, I am a registered Green Party member, mostly because I can be. I have a third-party choice. Here in Ireland, there are a plethora of parties, from those with traditional conservative values to those that advocate a socialist perspective to government and just about every political stance in between. These same parties put forth candidates for local elections, as well as national elections. And we also vote for Ireland’s representatives to the European Parliament. This European government business is wholly new territory for me, so I’ll have to do my homework! The local and European elections take place in early June this year; the national election, by March, 2025.

On March 8, International Women’s Day, yet another kind of election will take place, a referendum vote. It’s really appropriate that I of all people will be voting in my first Irish election on two proposals to eliminate dated, one might say condescending language from the constitution and replace it with more modern wording.

The first constitutional change basically expands the definition of family, to include the concept that family can be not only found in marriage but in ‘other durable relationships.’

Behind this change is the concept that ‘family’ is not one size fits all. What about single parents, or couples who are not married or chose not to have children, or grandparents and other family members who have guardianship of children? The idea is that this amendment will include in the constitution an expanded definition of what it is to be in ‘durable relationship’ with other people.

I want to quote precisely the two articles in the constitution that would be eliminated if the second referendum measure passes. To wit: ‘In particular, the State recognizes that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved.’ The second: ‘The State shall…endeavor to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.’ I don’t know. Maybe just a bit condescending…

They would be replaced by one article, stating that care given by family members to one another is of great importance to the country and the government will strive to support those ties.   

This proposed new article has caused a fair amount of controversy here. Those who support it, and I count myself among them, say that the original language is discriminatory and not reflective of today’s world. Moreover, the minister for social protection says the new language will for the first time encourage the government to recognize and support carers in the home regardless of gendered roles.

But others say the new wording will not oblige the government to support those caring for their family members. I’ve also heard some critics call the proposal misogynistic and sexist, because most of the carers in the home are still women, like it or not. One argument holds that the original language is preferred, because it gives mothers a choice to stay in the home. (This argument does not broach the concept of the father having that choice, I note.) There’s logic to the notion that the proposed language needs to be stronger, but it’s a start. And several political parties have already said they’ll introduce new legislation to ‘oblige’ rather than encourage the government to do more to support carers if this is passed.

Regardless of the outcome, there is good news about this referendum election, according to the Irish Times. Since December, when the referendums were first announced, nearly 110,000 people have applied to vote, with 37,000 alone in the 48 hours before the deadline to register for this election. I am a big believer in democracy, and this is a great sign of a vibrant one. The will of the people will be heard.

I have gone into a fair amount of detail about these referendums, and raise the issue of democracy, for a reason.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who understands my world view that I am deeply concerned about America. As a dual citizen, I retain the privilege of voting, so I actively work to stay connected. I have been reading with increasing alarm the behind-the-scenes machinations of such groups as Project 2025 – brainchild of the Heritage Foundation in collaboration with some 80 other conservative groups. It’s got some really bright and dedicated people who foresee an America where the executive branch has expanded power to the diminishment of Congress and the courts; where, as a result, numerous departments are abolished or largely defunded, such as Justice (including the FBI), Education and Commerce; where dissent is put down by the military; and where the ‘traditional family’ is the focal point for all social policy decisions. To back all this up, it has a database of people ready to step into leadership roles in a new Republican administration.

These are the people who concern me. Now I understand I could have some readers who agree with these concepts, and I suspect you may not want to read further. Fair enough. As one who believes in democracy, I absolutely honor your right to your views. Others might say this will never happen, it’s beyond the pale. I am no longer so sure. And in the two-party system that strangles America, the alternative to a Republican administration is not palatable to many either, from what I read and hear from back home. And I will tell you, although my two most political friends in the states tell me that Gaza hasn’t risen to the level of a real campaign issue yet, the current administration at this particular moment in time is pretty much vilified over here. So the question is, who will stay home on Election Day? One side certainly appears to have more passion than the other…

With all of this as a backdrop, Ireland is by comparison a sane (there’s that word again) and compassionate place to live. Note, just for instance, the expansion of the notion of family here, and the contraction of the notion to traditional heterosexual marriage norms proposed by Project 2025. Note efforts in some US states to make it more difficult to vote (although many states have also made it easier), while here domestic violence victims and the homeless gained increased access. Note that campaign finance reform measures are in place here, while the merest hint at such legislation is roundly rejected in the US – on both sides of the aisle.

This is not a perfect country by any stretch. With 102,000 Ukrainian refugees and 13,200 asylum seekers coming into a country already facing a 40,000-unit housing deficit, for instance, tensions have been rising considerably among the Irish in recent times spurred on by anti-immigrant detractors. The Irish equivalent of PBS, RTE, has been on the hot seat for backroom deals, lack of transparency and exit packages that are eye-watering. On balance, though, I have found this to be a government that works for its citizens. For example, the government for the third year running – and against the advice of the European Commission – paid a portion of everyone’s electricity bill this winter. A total of €450 this year, €600 the previous two years. Those political parties not in power argue that the current administration hasn’t done enough, needs to do more, not less to help people. Can you in any stretch of the imagination see today’s US Congress expanding help to its citizens? Sadly, I can not.

So in addition to the gorgeous rolling green hills, the ancient monuments, the music, the craic, the friendliness of the people, I add a sane political system to the reasons why I am glad to be living in Ireland. And I look forward to the day I can cast my ballot here.