the regional vote

[krusty]

http://www.latribune.fr/actualites/politique/20100314trib000487143/les-resultats-region-par-region.html

[NormanH]

Don't forget that this is only the first leg.

Now there will be wheeler dealing to try to get the majority for nest Sunday's second round.

[Chancer]

I am pleased to see that there are at least two other people on the forum aware of this.

Watching the results as they came in last night I was surprised to see the proportion of votes in all regions for the Front National.

Were they equally high last time?

[NormanH]

People should be: the Regions have an important rôle in:

Economic development

Planning, including infrastructure and transport (Road, Rail, Air and Sea)

Education 16+ and Training

and to a certain extent in Public Health.

There is very good site (in French but could be googled) which explains the responsibilities of each of the levels of Government

The institutions

Regions

Départements (at the moment before the proposed abolition)

Communes

I believe  that knowledge of  these things along side a test in French could well be demanded of people who wish to take French Nationality.

More controversially I think they should be asked of immigrants who wish to settle here, EU nationals included.

[NormanH]

[quote user="Chancer"]

I am pleased to see that there are at least two other people on the forum aware of this.

Watching the results as they came in last night I was surprised to see the proportion of votes in all regions for the Front National.

Were they equally high last time?

[/quote]

They were higher (average 16% I think) last time, but the general level of the vote for the FN fell in the mean time as it is no secret that Sarkozy was elected by appealing to their voters and so took a slice of their vote, much to the annoyance of the Le Pens.

However his policy of appointing people from the left to important posts (which was intended to defuse the threat from Bayrou and his idea of  party (the Modem) that assembled the best from both sides) has alienated the FN voters and they are now going back to their party.

[Judith]

[quote user="NormanH"]People should be:

[/quote]

I think they probably are - but since I suspect a majority of people on this forum are unable to vote in the regionals, there is perhaps less interest in discussing them ie no vote = no influence on result = no (or little) need to discuss.

I quite agree, they are an important part of the French system, but still not much point in knowing all there is to know about the parties, if you have no influence on the result.

[Will]

At least one forum member (Judie - Mrs W) was very much involved in the election, being responsible for the supervision and the count in our commune. Because it's a very small commune, with only 30-odd eligible electors, the count is one of the first to be declared, which means the local press are in our tiny mairie and Judie will probably be gracing this week's issues.

We had an incredibly high turnout, about 80%. The FN picked up two votes (about 7%) which is more than the socialists who, as usual in our commune, got nothing at all (nul points).

[NormanH]

I'm surprised she was allowed to. In the Municipal and European elections I did this too, but normally you have to be on the electoral list to this.

As a  non-French national I couldn't vote for the Regionals, and so couldn't be an Assesseur. I imagined that Mrs W was also non-French, and so not eligible.

[Chancer]

Only 45% voted across Picardie with some areas less than 30%, apparently it was down 18% from the last regional elections.

[Will]

I thought that too Norman, but she was specifically asked, as a conseilleur, even though she isn't eligible to vote herself. Perhaps the size of commune makes a difference, or more likely nobody was really bothered about, or aware of, any restriction. Mayoral politics may enter into it too (know what I mean?)

[Judie]

No I couldn't vote, but as the person responsible for of all the electoral lists in the commune, I was asked to be a scrutineer and sign the paperwork as Secretary. Jolly long day it was too but ably helped on by a few aperos.

[NormanH]

Yes it is long.

I was in the central bureau de vote in a town of 70,000 for the municipals, and after doing everything for our own area we then had to do all the co-ordination...

Will is probably right that there is something about the size if the commune, but it could also be that very French thing that there is a rule until it suits them to break it [:)]

[Judie]

Got to do it all again next Sunday - hey ho !!

[LisaJ]

Didn't seem to be a problem in our commune either. As a council we split up into three teams of three and I did the middle shift as I am English and don't eat at lunchtime...

regards

L

[NormanH]

As I said, probably because you are both willing and it suits them as there is often a shortage of volunteers.

The 'texte' from the Code Electoral

DESIGNATION DES ASSESSEURS (Art.

R.45 et R.46 du Code électoral)

1/Rôle des assesseurs

Les

assesseurs titulaires sont, avec le président et le secrétaire, membres

du bureau de vote et, comme tels, participent à la direction et

au contrôle des opérations électorales.

● Pendant

les opérations de vote, les assesseurs siègent derrière la table de

vote, ils tiennent la liste d'émargement, contrôlent l'identité ou le

droit de voter, la validité de la carte électorale, la validité des

procurations.

● A la fin des opérations de vote, ils

signent la liste d'émargement, les bulletins nuls, les feuilles de

décompte et le procès-verbal.

2/ Qui nommer pour cette

fonction ?

● Vous pouvez désigner pour chaque bureau

de vote un assesseur titulaire et un assesseur suppléant, tous deux

choisis parmi les électeurs du département

source

https://www.relations-elus.org/horde/drupal/node/7430

It might even be said that non-electors shouldn't even be allowed in to

the room !

Qui peut pénétrer dans le bureau de vote ?

Le bureau de vote n'est pas un endroit ouvert à tous et seuls peuvent

y pénétrer :

- les électeurs inscrits sur les listes

électorales du bureau

- les délégués des candidats ou des listes

-

les membres et délégués des commissions de contrôle des opérations de

vote

- les délégués du Conseil constitutionnel pour les scrutins

relevant de son contrôle (référendum, élection du Président de la

République

http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/elections/comment_voter/bureau-vote

[LisaJ]

No question of any volunteers Norman, just the council members.

regards

L

[NormanH]

Even as a council member you are not on the register for the Regional elections, and so not eligible for official functions, possibly not even supposed to be in the room unless in one of the categories in my previous post.

Possibly in tiny communes there is less knowledge of the 'code' or less rigour in its application, but it certainly wouldn't be allowed in larger places where there is a professional in charge.

[Quillan]

I think having read your links Norman that its down to interpretation. What it says, or at least how I interpret it, is that you have to be an 'Elector' within the region. Once you are a registered 'Elector' and being not French then restrictions are placed upon you as to what you can vote on but you are still and 'Elector'. I can't find anything thats says that being an 'Elector' but not being able to vote in a specific election (because you are not a French national) bans you from activities such as helping to count votes etc.

[NormanH]

That is plausible.

Certainly in my commune it is interpreted as 'an elector in the particular election concerned' , but that as you say is interpretation.

"

• Etre électeur

Pour avoir la qualité d'électeur, il faut être de nationalité

française, être âgé de 18 ans révolus et jouir de ses droits civils et

politiques. De plus, le droit de vote est subordonné à l'inscription sur

une liste électorale.

Une dérogation au principe de nationalité a été apportée par le

traité de Maastricht, ratifié en septembre 1992. Les ressortissants

communautaires ont désormais le droit de vote aux élections européennes

et municipales sous réserve qu'ils soient inscrits sur des listes

électorales complémentaires."

[Chancer]

Hope this isnt thread hijacking.

I followed the last elections with interest but my French wasnt good enough at the time to understand all the ducking and diving that was going on, it is now but I still lack an overview of the whole electoral process.

I guess this question is for Norman but would welcome my reponses, can you help me understand how the system works in France?

My current knowledge is limited to:

Lists of candidates are deposed at the prefecture with one person at the head of the list, I think that these can be opposed but am unsure.

The first round of elections votes are made for the party and person at the head of the list.

Before the second round there are negotiations between partys regarding alliances for the second round.

Possibly some parties that dont get enough votes at the first round are prevented from being in the second round and will encourage their supporters to vote for the candidate/party that they have done a deal with.

The definitive voting is made at the second round.

Some or all of the above may well be wrong and the collective info is not enough for me to understand the system, if I can gain an overview from the forum it will enable me to better understand the significance of the news articles over the next couple of weeks.

 

[NormanH]

Sorry, it was me who hijacked the thread

You have it back on track

The link for this is

http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/elections/les_elections_en_france/modalites-d-elections/modalites-election-france

Be aware that the site deals with all the types of elections, not only the regionals, so you need to select carefully

To explain briefly what is happening this week:

Those that got more than 10% go through.

Those that got less than 10% can't go on to the second round on their own right.

Those that got less than 5% can't officially 'fusion' with one of the other groups,  but two groups with less than 10% cant form a new list and go on.

Those over 5% can reform and 'fusion',to male a new formation, possibly to avoid a 'triangulaire' for example the Parti Socialiste  and Europe Ecologie are making a single list in some regions, but haven't come to a National agreement .

http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2010/03/15/01002-20100315ARTFIG00851-la-fusion-entre-ps-et-europe-ecologie-vire-a-la-cacophonie-.php

http://www.lemonde.fr/elections-regionales/article/2010/03/16/a-gauche-l-accord-pour-le-21-mars-connaitra-quelques-exceptions_1319889_1293905.html#ens_id=1318711

This has to be declared by this evening (Tuesday)

I will post again when I have more time about the earlier parts of the process ( formation of lists and the 'top down' system)

[LisaJ]

Just to clarify the position about non-French citizens at elections. Our secretary at the Mairie rang the Prefecture and was told the following:

Volunteers can only help at elections where they have the right to vote.

Once you have been elected to the Municipal Council then you can officiate at any election in the commune.

I hope this helps.

regards

L

[NormanH]

Thanks that clears that up.

In a way everybody was right [:)]

[mint]

For those of us who are a bit deficient in French and even more in the dark about the regional elections, here is the latest in our own language [:P]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7070381.ece

[krusty]

A nice easy site to check the results in your area.

http://www.europe1.fr/Infos/Regionales-2010/National/