The above link takes you to a search engine of all the towns and villages lists..
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Is it open to Residents or just Citizens?
Also, if you know of an idiotâs guide to French municipal elections in English, please share the link.
French citizens and EU citizens living in France, aged 18+, registered on electoral roll lists of their commune..
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An important point is mentioned at the bottom of that link, which is that one can no longer make any amendments to the ballot paper lists. A shame that they didnât rewrite the whole article!
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Now Iâm getting all upset again because I live here and pay all local taxes and charges, participate in local funds voluntary collections and yet my money is taken and I donât have a say.
I could understand not being allowed to participate in national elections to some extent, but living here legitimately and not having a say is just unfair.
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There are not many countries that allow non-citizens to vote - Ireland is a notable exception. Although a few do after X years of residency. The EU of course is open to EU citizens voting.
Sadly, non longer a EU citizen = no vote here.
It was a big reason for me seeking nationality here.
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quite so⊠I wouldnât be surprised if we donât have several âruined/voidâ votes due to people crossing out someone..
interestingly, the articleâs list of âwhat to doâ has the curtain in the wrong order⊠
In our commune, a voter enters the SdF, picks up the ballot paper(s) and an envelope
Goes behind the curtain
In privacy, puts whichever ballot paper (or whatever) into the envelope
Comes out from behind the curtain
Heads for the Ballot Box
Produces ID and voters card
Their name rings out
(and their name is checked/ticked against the electoral roll)
Place the envelope into the Ballot Box
âA Voteâ rings outâŠ
et voila
The names which have been ticked on the electoral roll.. are added up.
The ballot envelopes are added up⊠numbers must tally.
Envelopes are put into bundles of 10 or 20 and double checked again to ensure that the number of envelopes does, indeed, match the number of peple who have voted.
Phew⊠then the scrutineers note the contents of each envelope⊠onto a Tally/Chart.
Itâs all very carefully done⊠and we sit with bated breath waiting for the outcome.
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My previous commune you had to show ID etc before getting ballot paper, and then after you emerged from the curtain as you headed to the urne. As if you could suddenly turn into a white rabbit in the space of 5 metres!
One of my favorite French words is dépouillement.
And thatâs not restricted to citizens so anyone over 18 could volunteer!
I had the maire ring my gate bell last Saturday afternoon and introduce three of her list. However when she learned I had no right to vote but had served 13 years previously when we could vote she was not pleased and said that anyone like me who had lived here for more than 30 years should be able to and that Brexit was the worst thing any UK government had done in modern times. I tore up the flyer for the RN lot that I found in the box yesterday and consigned them to the bin.
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I remember those evening well even though there was only ever one list and an odd single person. A few times I got more votes than the re-standing maire of over 30 years and born locally, made my day that did but I donât miss all those long hours of commune accounts and going to other communes to share meetings about items affecting us all, especially on those dark winter evenings but at least the Mairie was only five mins across the road from our house.
In our commune, each âListâ will ask for a copy of the electoral roll, which they use to ensure they visit/discuss with everyone who is âon itâ.
Sadly, none of 'em ring our bell, nor leave their âprospectusâ in our letter box⊠not since Brexit. 
However, unlike some Brits ⊠I donât see this as unfair⊠non-europeans have never been allowed to vote in France (to the best of my knowledge) and we canât expect France to make an exception just for us⊠that would not be right (in my opinion).
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Exactly. âWeâ chose to be third country nationals and Bozo/Frost were in such a rush to get things through that they couldnât be bothered with petty detail.
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Thanks for posting this as, although we no longer live in France, we still take an interest in the village where we spent 7 years. We lived right in the centre of a small village of around 200 inhabitants and got to know nearly everyone there through being on the Comite des Fetes and helping to run the local football team. I was actually on one of the lists for election in a municipal election, but we lost the election. I was quite pleased not to get the fewest votes, being the only non-French person on the list. For this election, the person who was head of our list is head of one of the current lists, so still trying.
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I was asked to join one of the lists, but if I could I would have joined the opposing list; as a UK citizen I was not allowed. By the end of the year I will have all my canards in a line and my dossier will be submitted.
Hopefully the rules donât get changed again!
The first line of Ian Dury and the Blockheads âPlaistow Patriciaâ sums them up.
Oops, sorry for the bad language but I think it is appropriate.
A local we know is crossing her fingersâŠ. that she doesnât get elected!
She was asked to join a list (one of two in her village) and (reluctantly) said yes, out of politeness. She explained that even if her list wins (likely), due to the proportionality rules, she probably wonât herself get elected.
She said the winning list automatically is entitled to 50% of the seats, and the balance is divided up proportionately between losing and winning lists. As she is towards the bottom of her list,she thinks the strong likelihood is that people above her on the list will fill the 50% automatic seats and the bulk of the proportion awarded to the winning list. She should be in luck, and gain the brownie points for agreeing to stand, but not to have to carry out the elected functions. She is a busy local primary school teacher, mother of 3 etc and has more than enough on her plate..
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My wife has just been turned away from the bureau de vote on the basis that she is an EU citizen, and is not French.. Apparently there were urgent phone calls made to check.
They are completely wrong. She has the perfect right to vote in local and Euro elections as an EU citizen resident in France and registered on the electoral voting list. She doesnât feel very strongly about it as there is only one list, albeit she wanted to vote to thank the Maire for his efforts to help her recently. I obviously canât vote as a Brit but if theoretically I was eligible, I would be incensed if told incorrectly, that I couldnât vote.
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For the first time in many years this commune has a RN list. I checked back on previous elections details and there has only ever been one list and the current maire has been in office several years now, hope she continues as the other one heading the RN lot looks like a bit of work to me. I have had several of their publicity fliers in my box recently, they went straight into the yellow bin.