Voting - Can we? Will it help?

[Colandhelinfrance]

We were wondering if were allowed to register to vote in our commune! Or do you have to be a resident?

We were thinking of contacting our wonderful maire, to ask inform him that we would like to vote in the next election for Maire.

Does anyone know if this is possible?

[Teamedup]

If you are non french, then you can only vote in your communes elections if you are resident.

As french residents we can vote in local communal elections and european elections, but not the referendum.

[Val_2]

This is my dept. You may only register to vote in municipal elections which are held every six years to vote in the new maire and his council and you must be resident in France full time. You must register before December 31st EVERY YEAR as registration of non-french EU nationals is not carried over from year to year. To register you need to prove identity and some will ask for your birth certificates etc if you do not have a Carte de Séjour. Voting cards are sent to your address automatically but I have also had them hand delivered by the maire. The next elections will be in 2007 usually around March time.

[Coco]

I was speaking to the maire's secretary about this only last week. I knew we had to register before 31 December in order to be included in the following year's electoral register.  She said that if I drop in with mine and my husband's cartes de sejours she will add us to the list.  Does this mean that we will have to do the same again next year in order to be eligible to vote in the 2007 maire's election?

[Val_2]

Yes. British residents in France who wish to vote MUST REGISTER EVERY YEAR before 31st December or you will not be on the list for anything that particular year to come.