EU Citizen Voting Rights in France

If you are a EU citizen and a resident in France (primary residents only), you have voting rights in France for both European elections and local communal elections, but you do not have the right to vote in national elections. You cannot have voting rights in more than one country (i.e. both the UK and in France for European elections).

In order to be added to the voting lists you will need to apply to your local mairie (for rural areas of France) or to your local préfecture (for those living in town or cities).

In order to vote in the departmental elections and in the regional elections, voters must register a few months earlier, usually before the end of the year preceding the election. This process can often be rather lengthy and there may be a delay of several months between submitting the forms and actually being added to the voting lists. Therefore, it is suggested you complete this process well in advance of any elections in which you might wish to take part. If you have recently moved you will need to register in your new community, your voting registration will not follow automatically.

You can choose one of three ways to register:

• In person at the mairie
• By mail
• Online on www.Service-Public.fr (not available to some communes)

In all three cases you will need to provide the following information:

• ID from your country of nationality (a valid passport, or a photocopy if you are registering by mail –  some offices will accept a  photo ID driving license)
• Proof of domicile (copy of your lease, a recent utility bill, etc)
• Completed form Cerfa n°12669*01 (request at the local offices or download here )

Once you are registered you will receive a voter registration card, which along with your proof of identity, you will present on polling day at your local polling station. You will be handed an envelope and ballot papers for each candidate.

Voilá! You are now ready to vote.

Source: interieur.gouv.fr