MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

• The deadline for registering for postal voting in the upcoming European elections is 29 April 2024.
• Voters outside Greece who want to exercise the right to vote by postal vote can log in the epistoliki.ypes.gov.gr application by:

and confirming their mobile phone and email with a one-time password (OTP).

• In case a citizen requires assistance with the registration process, applications can be submitted via Greek Consular Authorities (Consulates General, Consulates, Consular Offices of Embassies).
• Voters will need to specify their residential or workplace address along with the preferred address for receiving the election material. Note that the ballot envelope will be dispatched by the Ministry of the Interior in May 2024.

• Yes. Everyone registered in the electoral rolls can exercise their right to vote by postal vote if they wish.
• Voters unable to access the electronic application through available means seek assistance from the competent Greek Consular Authorities abroad (Consulate General, Consulate or Consular Office of the Embassy), or a Citizen Service Centre (KEP) within Greece, for guided registration in the special electoral lists. Upon presenting a Greek identification document (identity card, passport, or driver’s license) for verification, the relevant public authority will proceed to submit a registration application on behalf of the voter.

• Yes. Voters encountering difficulties with computer usage can contact the competent Greek Consular Authority or a Citizen Service Center (KEP) to be facilitated in their registration.

• Yes. For registration, a cell phone from either a Greek or foreign cellular service provider is required.

• There is a dedicated field on the online registration application for additional information for the delivery of postal voting materials. There, the voter can specify details about the delivery of the postal voting envelope, including their preferred name, by the courier company.

• Active voter applications from abroad are automatically transferred to the postal vote registration application. These voters have already been informed by email and will need to log in to the postal voting application if they wish to vote this way, to confirm their details and enter the address they wish to receive the voting materials.
• No polling stations will operate outside of Greece in the European elections. Therefore, the postal vote will be the only way for Greek citizens who will be abroad on election day to exercise their right to vote.

• The postal vote envelope is dispatched by the Ministry of the Interior no later than 15 days before the elections, and must be received either by the voter or by a third party who is expressly authorized to receive it, with a signature authenticity attested through gov.gr or from a public authority, i.e. the competent Greek Consular Authority.
• The voter will be informed by e-mail that the voting material has been dispatched and a link will be provided for tracking the envelope.
• The postal vote envelope includes:

1. The envelope for returning the postal vote,
2. The ballot,
3. The voting envelope,
4. The instruction form,
5. The list of candidates,
6. The application – solemn declaration.

• Postal vote envelopes are completely anonymized and carry a special mark of authenticity.

• The ballot is a single form which is printed under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior.
• On the first page, all candidate parties, combinations and party coalitions are listed, allowed voters to mark their preferred choice with a cross. Additionally, there’s a distinct option for “I do not choose any of the above – blank vote”.
• The second page features a table of numbers from 1 to 42. The voter may select from none (0) to four (4) candidate Members of the European Parliament (MEP) from their preferred party or combination by clearly marking the corresponding number for each chosen candidate of their choice, as listed in the list of candidates. Finally, the voter marks the total number of candidates they have chosen, i.e. 0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4.
• In case a voter accidentally selects a candidate other than their intended choice or if the ballot is somehow damaged, they have the option to access and print replacement ballot available from the Ministry of the Interior’s website. After completing the replacement ballot, they should place it inside the voting envelope provided to be sent back to Greece.

• The voter carefully reviews the instructions included in the postal vote envelope.
• They then proceed to fill out the application – solemn declaration, either on paper or electronically via gov.gr and write their details on the postal vote return envelope.
• The voter selects their preferred combination and either votes for MEP candidates or leaves the ballot blank.
• The voter places the completed ballot inside the designated special voting envelope, seals it securely, and then inserts it into the return envelope. If the voter has filled out the application form on paper, they should include it in the return envelope along with a photocopy of their Greek identity card, Greek passport, or Greek driver’s license.
• The voter dispatches the envelope to the postal vote sorting center located in Greece. The address of the postal vote sorting center is already pre-filled on the return envelope for convenience.

• No. The voter receives the postal vote envelope free of charge, as the Ministry of the Interior covers the expenses associated with sending it. However, the voter may be required to cover the postage costs when sending back the postal vote return envelope. In such instances, the voter will be reimbursed at a fixed exchange rate.

• The voter is notified via a text message on their cell phone and an email, if declared during the registration process, regarding the receipt of the envelope from the Electoral Departments for the Sorting of Postal Votes in Greece.
• It is crucial envelope reached the designated authorities by 5:00 pm Greek time on the eve of the election (June 8, 2024) to be considered valid and counted in the voting result. Otherwise, if received late, the envelope is returned unopened to the sender. Please consult the instruction leaflet that will come with your electoral material for the deadlines of sending postal votes for each country.
• The counting of postal votes is conducted concurrently with all other votes on election Sunday afternoon.

• Postal vote return envelopes are dispatched to a pre-filled address.
• The postal voting polling stations are guarded by the Greek Police monitored via closed circuit television. The recording footage is stored at the Court of First Instance of Athens.
• Parties and coalitions of parties participating in the elections are entitled to designate an electoral representative and an alternate to oversee the process.

• It is imperative to safeguard the voting envelope along with all other voting materials in a secure location. Unfortunately, reissuing an envelope is not feasible, as each envelope is personalized and reprinting would consume time, thereby jeopardizing the timely receipt of the vote.

• In such exceptional circumstances, the voter may access the ballot on the Ministry of the Interior’s website, print it out, complete it anew, and place it inside the voting envelope as instructed.

• Voting confidentiality is strictly maintained. The secrecy of postal voting is ensured by segregating the application – solemn declaration from the sealed envelope containing the ballot, which is the only item deposited into the ballot box.
• The paper application – solemn declaration is kept separately and cannot be associated with the ballot in any way. The photocopy of the identification document is exclusively used to ensure unauthorized voting on behalf of the voter has not occurred.
• The postal voting polling stations are guarded by the Greek Police monitored via closed circuit television. The recording footage is stored at the Court of First Instance of Athens.