The town is vital to the organisation and supervision of elections.
All citizens aged over 18 are concerned by elections, whether they are local or national. The town provides vital services to voters regarding the legal formalities for elections, and organises ballots.
How to vote
To participate in an election, you must be registered on the electoral roll. European voters are authorised to vote (if they are registered on the rolls) for European and municipal elections. To vote, you must go to a polling station with your electoral card and proof of identity. It is possible to vote without your electoral card, but proof of identity is obligatory. Polling stations are supervised by a team of 4 officials:
- The President (the mayor and councillors)
- The Secretary (an administrative town employee)
- At least two assessors (registered voters from the department, appointed by the political parties)
Voting by proxy
Voters who cannot attend a polling station can vote by proxy, that is, be represented by another voter registered in the same town. You can apply for a proxy vote in a Gendarmerie (local police station), Commissariat (police station) or Tribunal d’Instance (court house); or for French citizens living abroad, in a consulate office. Proof of identity is obligatory. The form must be filled in on internet by the voter, printed and then validated by one of these authorities. Justification of the reason for not being able to vote is not compulsory. The representative can only make one proxy vote in France. The representative receives no document regarding the proxy vote. He simply goes to the polling station in question. A proxy can be made for one year or for one election (or for one ballot). Proxies made abroad are valid for three years.