What Works to Get Out the Vote? New Report Highlights Combined Approaches for Migrant Voter Mobilisation
Ensuring that migrants can fully participate in democratic life is essential to building inclusive, representative societies. Yet many migrants – particularly third-country nationals (TCNs) – remain excluded from electoral processes, limiting their ability to influence policy, hold decision-makers accountable, and strengthen their sense of belonging.
A new report from the New Europeans Initiative, based on interviews with participants of the 2023/24 VoteEuropa training (delivered with NGO Voicify), migrant-led organisations, and migrant representatives, explores how to effectively increase electoral participation among TCNs and EU mobile citizens. The findings are also informed by the Participation Policy Index.
The report concludes that effective mobilisation requires a dual approach:
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Top-down reforms to review and amend electoral policies, extend voting rights at all levels, adopt automatic voter registration, and ensure laws meet the needs of diverse communities through an intersectional lens.
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Bottom-up initiatives, such as inclusive community outreach, targeted voter information campaigns, and public awareness efforts co-designed with migrants themselves.
By combining structural change with grassroots mobilisation, and by working closely with migrant-led organisations, the report argues that electoral participation rates among migrants can be significantly increased.
Key recommendations include:
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Extend voting rights to TCNs across all levels of governance.
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Introduce automatic voter registration systems.
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Launch multi-level awareness campaigns tailored to specific migrant communities.
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Foster partnerships between authorities and migrant-led organisations to co-create outreach strategies.
The report is aimed at policy makers, civil society actors, and electoral authorities committed to ensuring that everyone – regardless of origin – can exercise their democratic rights and contribute to shaping the future of their communities.
About the Migration Policy Group (MPG)
MPG is an independent think-and-do-tank based in Brussels. MPG’s purpose is rooted in its ability to inspire networks to provide evidence-based projects, research and campaigns in the areas of integration, migration and anti-discrimination.