Election Day
On Sunday, 25th May 2014 elections will be held in Greece to elect Members of the European Parliament. Voting will commence at 07:00 hours and will end at 19:00 hours. Voting is mandatory.
Electoral System
Elections will take place using direct, universal, secret ballot in line with the provisions of the election legislation currently in effect.
Electoral Constituency
For the purpose of electing Members of the European Parliament, the Greek State consists of one single constituency (returning 21 MEPs).
Persons entitled to vote
Those persons entitled to elect Greek MEPs are Greek citizens who are
- will reach the age of 18 years in the election year (until December 31 of that year). In the 2014 elections to the European Parliament, those born on or before 31.12.1996 are eligible to vote
- are registered in an electoral list maintained by a Municipality or Community in Greece and who have not been deprived of their right to vote
EU citizens of other Member States are also entitled to vote provided:
- They reside in Greece and will reach the age of 18 years in the election year (until December 31 of that year). In the 2014 elections to the European Parliament, those born on or before 31.12.1996 are eligible to vote
- They have not been deprived of the right to vote both in Greece and in the Member State of Origin
- They have been registered on the special electoral rolls of the municipality of their residence by February 28, 2014.
Persons not entitled to vote
- Persons who pursuant to the provisions of the Hellenic Civil Code have been fully deprived of their right to exercise their civil rights on their own.
- All those persons so deprived by virtue of an irrevocable criminal sentence, for one of the crimes cited in the Penal and Military Penal Code for such time as that deprivation persists.
How to vote
Voters should go to the polling station and present themselves to the returning board which will examine their identification and verify whether they are registered in the electoral rolls. Voters will enter the polling station one by one or in groups of small numbers in the order they arrive or in the manner laid down by each returning board. Voters should identify themselves by presenting their police ID cards to the returning board. Voters who do have not ID cards, in order to be identified have to present a temporary certificate of the competent authority or their passport or their driving license or their personal health booklet issued by any insurance fund. EU citizens should identify themselves by presenting a valid identity document (passport or ID card). The returning board will provide each voter with a specially marked envelope initialled by the court representative and stamped by the board as well as a full set of ballot papers for all party lists.
Voters who are physically incapable of performing the above tasks are entitled to turn to the court representative or to a member of the returning board for assistance. These persons are obliged to provide such assistance to voters. Voters are prohibited from placing ballot papers in the ballot box: a) if not placed within the specially marked envelope or if the envelope is unsealed and b) if the voter has not first pulled the curtain around the polling booth.
Where so requested, voters will be provided with a voting certificate signed and stamped by the chairman of the returning board and bearing its stamp that he/she voted.
