The deadline for foreigners to enlist to vote in municipal elections was elongated to 30 August. Municipal elections will be held in early November 2010 and the law gives foreigners the right to vote for the first time.
The procedure is simple and the citizens of EU countries are required to present a valid passport or identity card and Greek residence permit. A declaration containing the address of residence in Greece is filled on the spot.
Each European Union citizen who lives in Greece can quickly submit an application for voting to the municipalities of the area where he lives. You should prepare in advance one photocopy of the residence permit, passport or identity card before you go to the city hall, because you have to present them with the original documents. There you will fill an application for voting, which is a declaration of your residence too.
Third countries (non-member European Union) citizens who are 18 years of age (born before 31/01/1992) and have not been convicted for crimes that infamy them have the right to vote too.
The procedure for immigrants who are from outside the EU is slightly more complicated as they are required to submit four papers: an authenticated photocopy of residence permit, a certified photocopy of passport, recently issued certificate of conviction and a certificate that they are permanent residents of the municipality.
The provisions of the second chapter of the Law 3838/2010 (Official Gazette Α49) establishes for the first time the right of legally residing third-country nationals in the country to participate in elections by voting or candidacy. The main and most important stipulation of this law is its recognition that political participation in local elections of legal immigrants residing in Greece is one of the most important elements for their integration. The right of immigrants to vote in local elections is a necessary condition to not be isolated and become an active group of Greek society.
As is known ,elections for municipal governments will be held in early November 2010. They are historical in nature, because they will elect the governors of the new enlarged municipalities of the country following the the government's plan for administrative reform Kalikratis and because immigrants from third countries legally residing in the country will participate in the elections for the first time.
Currently the number the applications for voting submitted by immigrants and foreigners permanently residing in the country is low. By the end of June they were only about 3,000 out of 600,000 people that are recorded to live permanently in Greece.