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Who has the right to vote?


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Maybe this seems naive to those of you who are knowledgeable about politics, but I have been reading with great interest the thread about the forthcoming election and would like to know who has the right to vote.  We have completed a form brought round to us by the Mayor which I assume is for a vote in 2008 for the general elections?  Any more info. as to the voting rights of expates would be gratefully received.  Thanks Kate.

 

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You can vote in local elections as a resident.  To vote in national elections you need to be a French citizen.  You can apply for French citizenship when you have been resident for 5 years.  (I'm currently trying to establish what the procedure is for the latter as I'll qualify in a couple of years and am determined to do so.  I'm sure it's been covered on here somewhere....)
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[quote user="cooperlola"]You can vote in local elections as a resident.  To vote in national elections you need to be a French citizen.  You can apply for French citizenship when you have been resident for 5 years.  (I'm currently trying to establish what the procedure is for the latter as I'll qualify in a couple of years and am determined to do so.  I'm sure it's been covered on here somewhere....)[/quote]

I made the same enquiry coops - and was told that to have French citizenship you must give up your British passport in exchange for a French one.  Can't have duel nationality - one or the other.  Merci Mr. Pasqua.

Are you aware of this and therefore prepared to do that? 

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[quote user="TWINKLE"]

 to have French citizenship you must give up your British passport in exchange for a French one.  Can't have duel nationality - one or the other. [/quote]

Are you absolutely sure about this Twinkle? Who told you that?

How could it be so, since it does not work like that, the other way around. I have both French and British nationality, although I started off French. I know that once you are born French, apart from rare exceptions, French you will always be..to the French. So surely, there would not be a rule that only works one way?

Which means that I can, and do, vote both in British and French elections.

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[quote user="TWINKLE"]

[quote user="cooperlola"]You can vote in local elections as a resident.  To vote in national elections you need to be a French citizen.  You can apply for French citizenship when you have been resident for 5 years.  (I'm currently trying to establish what the procedure is for the latter as I'll qualify in a couple of years and am determined to do so.  I'm sure it's been covered on here somewhere....)[/quote]

I made the same enquiry coops - and was told that to have French citizenship you must give up your British passport in exchange for a French one.  Can't have duel nationality - one or the other.  Merci Mr. Pasqua.

Are you aware of this and therefore prepared to do that? 

[/quote]I would be, simply because I think it's more pertinent to vote in your country of residence, but I had certainly been led to believe that the latter two posters are correct and that you can be both!
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Well when I married my French husband in Mexico and we legalised it here in France that is what I understood tobe necessary if I wanted French nationality.  That was more than 12 years ago though so after reading the other posts I think I will pay a visit to the Mairie[:)]

I found this very informative site on French Nationality.

http://sos-net.eu.org/etrangers/interne/natio.htm

 

 

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