European elections, the symbolic and ‘do it yourself’ vote in Bologna of migrants with sample cards

The results of the do-it-yourself European elections will be announced after the 'real' elections are counted to send a message to politics

BOLOGNA – A week before the “official” vote, polling stations open in Bologna for Italians without citizenship, non-EU foreigners excluded from any electoral consultation. This year, for the first time, through an initiative of the “On the right side of history” network, foreign communities have organized six polling stations in various places in the city where they will allow residents without the right to vote to express their vote for the European elections, using a mock-up of the real ballot paper that Italians and EU citizens will use on 8 and 9 June. You can vote on Saturday 1st from 3pm to 7pm at the Katia Bertasi (Navile), at the Zonarelli center (San Donato-San Vitale), at the Fava gardens (Porto-Saragozza) and at the Hayat non-profit organization (Borgo Reno) and on Sunday in the same timetables at the Pontevecchio sports center (Savena) and at the Astalli center (Santo Stefano). Added to these is a traveling seat on a cargo bike which will be on Saturday morning first at the Lunetta Gamberini and then at the Margherita gardens.
At the banquets even those who already have Italian citizenship will also be able to express their opinion on two “referendums”, on citizenship for those born in Italy (Ius soli) and on the right to vote in local elections for non-EU residents. The collection of memberships will also continue online.

“We hope that Italy changes and listens to us, because we are tired”, says Utibe Aniedi Joseph presenting the consultation today at Palazzo D’Accursio together with other activists. Four of them also offered themselves as candidates on the posters to raise awareness of the initiative and encourage participation. “We have studied and work here, we want to participate in this act of democracy“, says Jherson Gutierres. On June 1-2, he assures, “we will show how interested we are in representing our communities”. The polling stations will be a “celebration of democracy”, the organizers further explain: there will also be dances and typical dishes, curated by the different communities. The results of the do-it-yourself European elections will be made known after the counting of the ‘real’ elections to send a message to politics. “Only EU citizens vote for the European and local elections. But the majority of foreign citizens are non-EU citizens: we are engaging in discrimination, differential treatment”, underlines Michelle Rivera, who today works at the anti-discrimination desk of the Municipality of Bologna.
The idea, recalls the municipal councilor of the Lepore list Siid Negash, was born “from an agenda of our Municipality which also asked to experiment with the symbolic vote for migrants. A way to push politics to change the rules but at the same time a ‘training’ of the real vote for when these people will have citizenship and a way to make it clear to those who have the electoral card in their pocket but abstain that there are people who they would like to vote but don’t have the chance.”