EU citizen: your right to vote in France: a reminder

[Clair]

When to register:

You can register any time during the year and the lists are revised and updated up to 31st December.

Your voting card will either be sent by the post or handed over at the mairie.

Who can vote:

As an EU citizen living permanently in France, you have the right to vote for your French member of the European Parliament (MEP) and at the municipal elections, provided that:

• you are over 18 years old

• and you have not been deprived of your voting rights in your country of origin

How to register:

You need to provide the following:

• a completed registration form (see below)

• a proof of identity (valid passport or resident card)

• a proof of residence (copy of taxe d'habitation or recent EDF bill for example)

There are two lists held for EU citizens and you must be listed on both lists to be able to vote.

Liste complémentaire pour les élections des représentants Français au Parlement européen (Download the form HERE)

Once registered on this list, you lose the right to vote for MEP elections in your country of origin.

Liste complémentaire pour les élections municipales (Download the form HERE)

You can vote in the commune in which you pay your taxe d'habitation.

More details (in French) HERE

[cooperlola]

A timely reminder as per, Clair.   I know quite a few people who regularly sound off on various subjects but don't take advantage of their democratic rights.  Our ancestors (not very distant ones in the case of we women) fought and died for this and there are people in the world who have no say in what is done on their behalf.  So, go on, take a little time to register and go out and vote when the time comes.

I'll get off my favourite soapbox now.

[Kitty]

Thank you Clair.  I see that if registered, you lose your right to vote in the UK European Elections.  What about a UK General Election or a UK Local Election?

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

I believe you can vote in a UK general election unless lived outside the UK for 12 years or more. I lost that right sometime this year I think.

No idea about local elections, but then if you live in France, what is local anyway? You no longer live in the UK.

I wouldn't have a clue who to vote for anyway.

[cooperlola]

You do not lose your right to vote in general elections in the UK.  You do lose your right to vote in local elections the moment you move - if you're registered in the UK, you'll find you only get sent GE voting papers.

I believe you can opt to vote for an MEP in the UK instead but I've never done so, so I could have this wrong.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

If you move abroad, you can vote in general elections and European Union elections for up to 15 years, but you need to be registered. However, you can't vote in UK local government elections. You can also vote by post or proxy if you’ll be temporarily abroad on election day.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Politicalpartiesandelections/DG_073241

So I have another 3 years in which I could vote if I wanted then.