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Across the European Union (EU), national provisions regarding the right to vote for citizens living abroad are not consistent. However, recent legislative changes seem to suggest a positive trend towards allowing out-of-country voting in most EU Member States. When it comes to voting from abroad, countries need to carefully assess and address various issues. These include: the identification of potential voters; how to inform them about their right to vote and stand as a candidate from abroad; the ...

People with disabilities still find it hard to participate in elections in the European Union. This infographic compares national practices aimed at helping people with disabilities exercise their electoral rights in the EU.

In the European Union, provisions concerning prisoners' right to vote vary from one Member State to another. While a significant number of EU Member States place no restrictions at all on prisoners voting, many Member States deprive inmates of the right to vote, depending on the type of offence committed and/or the length of their sentence. A small number of Member States deprive inmates of the right to vote permanently, even after they have served their sentences. In those cases where inmates do ...

The European Electoral Act of 1976 allows the EU Member States to set the minimum age for standing as a candidate in European elections. While in May 2022 Parliament proposed a uniform minimum age of 18, the next round of elections – in 2024 – will be governed by the existing rules. The minimum age therefore varies among the Member States, ranging from 18 (in the majority of countries) to 25 (Italy and Greece).

In 2022, the Human Rights Subcommittee decided to prepare a Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on how to respond to undemocratic elections by strengthening the human right to participate in public affairs. On 25 January 2023, a Workshop was organised on behalf of the Human Rights Subcommittee to discuss the challenge of elections in authoritarian countries from a human rights perspective. It focused on authoritarian ...

On 25 November 2021, the European Commission submitted a proposal to modify Directive 93/109/EC on the right of mobile European Union (EU) citizens – those residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals – to vote and stand as candidates in elections to the European Parliament. The proposal was presented with three others: to modify the rules on EU citizens' rights in municipal elections; to set rules on political advertising; and to revise the rules on EU political party and foundation ...

During the February II plenary session, under the consultation procedure, the Parliament is due to vote on the report on a Commission proposal concerning the right of 'mobile' EU citizens, that is, those residing and voting in a Member State of which they are not nationals, to vote in European Parliament elections. Under this procedure, the Council – expected to adopt the proposal by unanimity – is not bound by Parliament's opinion.

On 25 November 2021, the European Commission put forward a proposal to modify Council Directive 94/80/EC on the right of mobile EU citizens to vote and stand as candidates in municipal elections. The proposal tied in with the Commission President's priority for a new push for European democracy. The proposal was presented together with three others: a proposal to modify Directive 93/109/EC on EU citizens' right to vote and stand as candidates in elections to the European Parliament; a proposal on ...

In May 2022, the European Parliament adopted a draft legislative act proposing to repeal the 1976 European Electoral Act and replace it with a new Council regulation on the election of the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) by direct universal suffrage. The aim is to harmonise a number of rules applicable to European elections, which are currently a combination between the common principles under the European Electoral Act and the different national rules implementing them. Harmonisation would ...

The rules that apply to European elections are not uniform throughout the Union. Member States apply different national electoral rules, although all need to comply with the common principles established in the 1976 European Electoral Act. During the May I plenary session, Parliament is expected to vote on a legislative initiative proposing to repeal the European Electoral Act with a new Council regulation further harmonising the rules applicable to European elections, including through the creation ...