The battle of the European elections enters the final stretch as there are only three days left until the polls open on Sunday, June 9.
A total of 31 parties participate in the contest, while the 21 seats to which Greece is entitled in the European Parliament are claimed by 1,168 candidates.
The June 9 process is the 10th election for the selection of members of the European Parliament that has been held in Greece since 1981.
The parties that received the “green light” from the competent department of the Supreme Court to participate in the European elections are:
– NEW DEMOCRACY
– SYRIZA (COALITION OF RADICAL LEFT – PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE)
– PASOK – Movement for Change
– KKE (COMMUNIST PARTY OF GREECE)
– HELLENIC SOLUTION – KYRIAKOS VELOPOULOS
– NIKI
– PLEFSI ELEFTHERIAS (SAILING OF FREEDOM)
– MERA25
– FONI LOGIKIS (VOICE OF REASON – AFRODITI LATINOPOULOU)
– ANTARSIA
– LA.O.S. (PEOPLE’S ORTHODOX RALLY)
– SYMMETEXO (I PARTICIPATE for National Sovereignty and Cyprus)
– MARXIST – LENINIST COMMUNIST PARTY OF GREECE (M-L KKE)
– ETHNIKO METOPO (NATIONAL FRONT)
– ORGANIZATION OF COMMUNIST INTERNATIONALISTS OF GREECE
– Organization for the Reconstruction of the KKE
– PARTY OF EQUALITY, PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP
– KEKA-AKKEL TOGETHER for a Free Greece
– PATRIOTES – Prodromos Emfietzoglou
– UNITED PALLAIC FRONT (EPAM)
– Movement 21
– DEMOCRATS – ANDREAS LOVERDOS
– Diaspora Network of Greeks of Europe (ODEE)
– New Left
– CONSERVATIVES
– NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT
– UNION OF CENTERS
– ELLINON ELEFSIS (Greek Assembly)
– Green movement
– DHMIOURGIA (Creation)
– KOSMOS
Seats
A necessary condition for a party to enter the 21-seat allocation mechanism is to capture a percentage of at least 3%, however, according to the models of election analysts, securing a seat is secured in the 3.3% – 3.4% zone.
Postal vote
To facilitate the elections, 18,617 polling stations will operate throughout the country, of which 237 will exclusively count postal votes. According to information from the competent services, over 155,000 postal votes have already been received, with the final number estimated to reach 180,000.
It should be noted that those who have registered in the postal lists but did not send their vote, will receive a text message on Saturday (19:00 – 20:00) which will inform them of the polling station where they can exercise their right to vote in person after 11:00 on election Sunday.
Who, how, where and when they vote
A total of 9,796,330 voters are registered in the electoral rolls, of which 4,755,686 are men and 5,040,644 are women. Of these, 166,679 are non-citizens, 202,515 have registered on the letter platform while 13,023 come from other EU countries.
In relation to the national elections of 2023, 111,500 new voters have acquired the right to vote in the elections. It should be noted that those who turn 17 in the year of the elections have the right to vote, i.e. they were born until 31/12/2007. Exercising the right to vote is mandatory – except for exceptions, for those over 70 years of age and for voters who are abroad.
The voter who will vote in person at the polling station is required to show an identification document (police ID or passport or driver’s license or insurance book).
The identification of voters can also be done using the digital identity. The polling centers in Greece will operate from 07:00 in the morning until 19:00, while the postal votes must have been received by the competent authorities within the relevant deadline, i.e. until 17:00 Greek time on June 8 2024, in order to be counted as valid.
Voters can visit the Home Office’s “Know Where You Vote” digital platform to identify their electoral division. Voters can choose up to four candidates with a preference cross.
However, in the event that more crosses are placed, the ballot is not canceled but is only counted in favor of the party.
According to the officials of the Ministry of Interior for the electoral process on Sunday there will be at least three updates on the course of participation at 11:45, at 14:45 and at 17:45.
At approximately 20:30 – 21:00 on Sunday night, the first safe estimate for the final election result will be announced, with officials estimating that it will be clear how many parties exceed the 3% threshold.
There will be a safe image for the candidates’ crosses from 22:30 to 23:00.
