The parliament's electoral matters committee has been urged to consider allowing permanent residency visa holders to vote.
A parliamentary committee reviewing the May federal election has been told more than 2.2 million people living in Australia are being denied a vote because they are not citizens.
French-born graphic designer Sylvain Garcia, who has lived in Australia for eight years, has urged the electoral matters committee to overturn a law change made in 1981 that restricted the right to vote to citizens, rather than permanent residents.
"Today, at 29 years old, I feel more Australian than French," he wrote in his submission.
"I know many permanent residents feel the same and I can't help but wonder why this huge chunk of people living in Australia cannot be part of the decisions made for the country."
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