Citizens abroad and Regional Elections: A diffusionist Perspective

In this paper we shift the focus away from the state to the regional demos with the aim to introduce the notion of scale in the study of external voting. It is divided into three parts. Following a preliminary discussion on the external franchise from a sub-state perspective, we proceed with a comparative overview of the rules of acquisition and loss of the franchise in regional elections and show that the extension of the franchise to ‘regional expatriates’ is a relatively exceptional practice. We then identify factors that in our view are key to understand the absence of a vertical diffusion of the external franchise to lower levels of government, in sharp contrast with its rapid horizontal diffusion at the state level.
The second part examines the debates surrounding the inclusion and exclusion of the franchise in three cases of protracted nationalist mobilization that translated into far reaching territorial autonomy: Catalonia, Scotland and Flanders.
The third and final section contrasts the similarities and differences that can be found between our three cases and reflects upon the lessons that can be drawn from them.