Registration in the electoral rolls
Each voter should only register in the electoral rolls of the municipality in whose Municipal Rolls he/she is registered. Each person may only register once in an electoral roll. Law 2623/98 redrew the electoral rolls based on the municipal rolls. Consequently, changes entered in the municipal rolls are automatically entered in the electoral rolls.
Moreover this law also:
Abolished electoral booklets and voters in order to be identified when proceeding to exercise their right to vote, have to present their ID card or a temporary certificate of the competent authority or their passport or their driving license or their personal health booklet issued by any insurance fund. Note that even ID cards that are no longer being used (issued prior to the last issued ID card of the voter) are also acceptable.
Single electoral rolls are now prepared without drawing up separate electoral rolls for men and women.
For electoral purposes, parishes were abolished and replaced by electoral districts.
Each voter has been assigned a Voting Number which is unique to him/her and remains unchanged for the duration of his/her life. It is used only for electoral purposes. Other uses are prohibited and will be prosecuted.
Voters wishing to exercise their right to vote in a Local Government Authority (municipality) other than the one in whose electoral rolls they are currently registered should transfer to that Local Government Authority if they meet the conditions for doing so.
Note that these changes and procedures also apply to Greek citizens resident abroad provided they are registered in the Municipal Rolls of a municipality in Greece.
New voters (all persons just turned 18)
Acting ex officio, by 1st February of each year the Mayor should prepare lists of names which include all persons registered in the Municipal Rolls of the municipality acquiring the right to vote (turning 18) during that year.
During January of the same year these new voters should, if they so wish, submit a statement to the relevant municipality relating to which electoral district in the electoral rolls they wish to be registered in. If no such statement is submitted they shall be assigned to an electoral district chosen by the municipality based on existing data.
These lists shall be posted for public display from 1st to 10th March in the town hall in the municipality in whose Municipal Rolls the voter is registered.
Changes in the electoral rolls โ Transfer to another municipality
Each voter may request that particulars of his/her registration in the electoral rolls be corrected where proof that this is necessary is presented. Every two months the Mayors prepare special lists with the changes made to Municipal Rolls due to death, transfer to other municipalities, corrected particulars and acquisition or loss of Greek citizenship. From the 1st to 10th day of the month immediately after the aforementioned 2-month period, these lists are posted for public display in the town hall in the municipality. Within these dates each voter or representative of a political party recognised by the Hellenic Parliamentโs Regulation is entitled to submit an objection on the registration or non-registration of a person in these lists to the Mayor. Such objections shall be examined within 1 month by the relevant Court of First Instance.
Voters wishing to exercise their right to vote in a Local Government Authority (municipality) other than the one in whose electoral rolls they are currently registered should transfer to that Local Government Authority if they meet the conditions for doing so. To obtain information on the transfer procedure and the conditions for transfer, interested citizens should contact their relevant municipality.
Special electoral rolls for members of the Hellenic Police Force, Armed Forces, Fire Brigade and Coast Guard
Staff of the Hellenic Police Force, Fire Brigade, Coast Guard and soldiers serving in any capacity in the Armed Force who are registered in the electoral rolls of a municipality and who on Election Day are serving in another municipality may exercise their right to vote in the Parliamentary elections either in the municipality where they are registered or in the municipality where they are serving. In the latter case, they need to register in the special electoral rolls.
Each of the aforementioned voters who is dispatched to serve in any manner for an open-ended period of time or for a period of more than one month within the administrative boundaries of a municipality in whose electoral rolls he is not registered, is obliged to inform the municipality in whose electoral rolls he is registered of this fact.
Voters who have stated their wish to exercise their right to vote in the municipality in whose electoral rolls they are registered shall be granted special leave of absence by their superiors taking into account service needs. This leave of absence shall be no more than absolutely necessary. This time shall not be taken into account in calculating the duration of normal leave.
At least 3 days before Election Day these voters should present their ID card or passport to their service. Military staff, other than guards deployed at polling stations for the purposes of the election, such as military supervisors and their adjutants, as well as officers, NCOs and soldiers in military divisions away from base on service shall vote at the polling station of the municipality where they are carrying out their duties for the party-lists and canditates in the constituency within which the polling station falls. The returning board shall make particular reference in its minutes to the fact that such voters voted there and their particulars shall be set out in the polling report.
Such voters who exercise their right to vote at the place where they are registered in the electoral rolls are obliged to present a certificate from their unit that they have not been registered in the special electoral rolls.
Special electoral rolls for seamen
Greek seamen who are registered in the electoral rolls of any municipality in Greece serving on vessels flying under the Greek fly which, based on their approved itineraries or schedule, on Election Day are at a port in another municipality may exercise their right to vote in the Parliamentary elections, European Parliament elections or in referenda in the municipality where their vessel is located.
Lists of names shall be prepared and signed by the vesselโs captain and attested as to the authenticity of the signature and the truth of their content by the supervising officer at the Port Authority, Customs Authority or Police Precinct of the municipality where the vessel is anchored .
At least 3 days before Election Day these voters should present their ID card or passport to their service.
Such voters who exercise their right to vote at the place where they are registered in the electoral rolls are obliged to present a certificate from their service that they have not been registered in the special electoral rolls.
Special electoral rolls for detainees
During Parliamentary elections and European Parliament elections polling stations shall be set up at all detention centres. Detainees with the right to vote who are registered in the electoral rolls and whose civil rights have not been irrevocably removed by court judgment may vote based on special electoral rolls.
