EU Elections: different ways of voting across Europe

Son güncelleme Perşembe, 25/01/2024

Are you thinking of voting in the 2024 EU Elections? Did you know that countries have diverse voting procedures while sharing common principles?

Elections for the European Parliament take place in all EU Member States between 6 and 9 June 2024. The precise day of elections is set by each Member State. You can check the election day in your country on the European Parliament website.

Different ways of voting in the European Union 

 
Mandatory voting

Voting is mandatory in five Member States – Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Greece (in Belgium, voting is not compulsory for voters aged 16 and 17.)

Voting by post

In 13 out of 27 EU countries, it is possible to vote by post. Usually, this is managed by the state authorities.

Voting by proxy

What is voting by proxy? It’s when somebody else casts their ballot on your behalf. Only 3 countries allow voting by proxy - Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

Voting in an embassy/consulate

Most of the EU countries allow voting from abroad in an embassy or consulate. Some Member States require voters to pre-register with their national electoral authorities to be eligible to vote from abroad by post or at an embassy/consulate. So if you are voting from abroad, check the rules of your country!

E-voting

Only one country allows e-voting. Can you guess which country is it? Here are some clues: This country has over 2000 islands, 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites and 99% of state services are available online. You guessed it correctly, it’s Estonia!

What do you think is the best way to vote? How are you voting in your country? Share your ideas with us on Instagram!

Common rules

If each country manages its election process, there are some common principles they must apply:
Elections take place during a four-day period, from Thursday to Sunday.
The number of MEPs elected from a political party is proportional to the number of votes it receives.
EU citizens resident in another EU country can vote and stand for election there.
Each citizen can vote only once.

Written by Eurodesk Brussels Link