Official website (Link)Official website ( Ministry of the Interior circular ) INTA1830120 (https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/download/pdf/circ?id=44101)
Where and how to vote?
Primary method
Voters in France have to vote in a specific polling station in the town hall of their municipality, based on their domicile, or their residence there for at least 6 months or on where they have been paying local taxes for the past 2 years. The commune or municipality where they will vote can be :
- the municipality where they are genuinely domiciled or have been living for at least the past 6 months without interruption;
- the municipality where they have been subject to paying local taxes for at least the past 2 years; in addition the spouse (but not the civil partner) can also register in that municipality according to this rule;
- the municipality where the company, of which they have been the director or the majority shareholder for at least two years, has been subject to local taxes for at least the past 2 years;
- for civil servants, their residence of a mandatory assignment.
- additional rules apply for military personnel, seafarers and those without a fixed domicile.
Alternative method
Although vote by post or online is not possible in France, it is possible to vote by proxy and assign another registered elector to cast their vote on the person’s behalf ( “ par procuration ” ) .
Polling day requirements
Voters in France need to present their voting card and ID card or passport in order to vote in cities with more than 1,000 inhabitants. The same requirements apply to both nationals and mobile EU citizens, but the latter can also present a valid residence document as proof of their identity .
Who can vote?
General
An individual must meet the following requirements to vote in EP elections in France :
- hold French citizenship or be a citizen of another EU Member State;
- be at least 18 years of age; and
- not be excluded from voting.
Mobile EU citizens
EU citizens must be living in France in order to be able to vote there. To prove this they will need to supply a recent utility bill that is less than 3 months old and which shows their name and address.
Registration requirements
Nationals. French citizens need to register in the electoral roll, unless they have previously registered or they have been informed of an automatic registration by their municipality. It is, however, advisable to register to vote in the new municipality after a change of address or in the case of first-time voters who have not been contacted by local authorities.
French citizens residing abroad may choose to register to vote at the French consulate or in a specified municipality in France, including, for example ( i ) the municipality where they were born, (ii) the municipality where they last had their domicile (iii) the municipality where they last resided for at least 6 months, (iv) the municipality where one of their ascendant relatives was born, was or is registered to vote, (v) the municipality where one of their relatives (up to the 4th degree) is registered to vote.
Mobile EU citizens. Mobile EU citizens wishing to vote need to register in the electoral roll in one of the following municipalities: (i) the municipality of permanent residence, (ii) the municipality where the mobile EU citizen has resided for the last 6 months, (iii) the municipality where the mobile EU citizen pays taxes, or (iv) the municipality where the business owned or managed by the mobile EU citizen is registered. Mobile EU citizens can apply for registration online, via mail or at the municipality’s premises, always before the sixth Friday before the elections.
Exclusions
Nationals or mobile EU citizens who have been deprived of their legal capacity or stripped of their civic rights cannot vote in EP elections in France.