Even though the volume of applications by Greek expatriates who qualify to vote for the first time from their place of residence is not impressive, over the past week there has been an increase of last minute interest to register on the special electoral rolls.

The criteria set by the Greek legislation (Law 4648/2019 passed in December 2019) excludes most overseas voters from voting remotely while according to Neos Kosmos readers who attempted to register online, the website is presenting with issues such as failing to notify the user on the progress or status of their application.

According to a statement an Interior Ministry official responsible for the conduct of elections made to Athens-Macedonian News Agency, “until recently interest has been slow but lately it has increased tremendously,” a trend that is expected to strengthen as the day of the national elections approaches.

Specifically, while until last month in the entire two years of operation of the online platform, around 5,000 applications had been submitted by Friday, 17 February the number had reached 9,000 with around 200 applications being submitted daily. Of these, 6,000 have been approved, about 1,000 rejected and the rest are pending.

Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that the final number will reach 15,000 to 20,000 attributing the increased interest to a new campaign targeting diaspora Greeks.

The new advertising campaign launched in both print and online press publications overseas this week.

How to register on the special electoral rolls

In order to register, voters must submit their application at least 12 days before the announcement of the elections. Those who submit their application after the deadline will not be entitled to vote from their place of residence in the next elections, provided they meet the requirements.

The main prerequisite for a Greek expatriate to be registered on the special electoral rolls of voters abroad is to have resided in Greece for a total of two years in the last 35 years and to have submitted a tax return E1 or E2 or E3 or E9 for both previous years, even if the return is zero.

The tax return requirement does not apply to those who are under 30 years old and have submitted a tax return by first-degree relatives. Applicants up to 30 years of age should select “dependent” and fill in the VAT number of the main taxpayer.

Those eligible can access the online application on the Greek Ministry of Interior website under apodimoi.gov.gr by entering their taxisnet codes.

After being authenticated as a user, the applicant can search for the entry in the basic electoral list and select it for their information to be automatically filled in on the online application form.

Users should register their permanent residential address, telephone numbers and e-mail address, selecting the country and city where they wish to exercise their electoral rights from, found on the respective lists of each specific fields.

After saving the main body of the application, the user can start entering the supporting documents that confirm the fulfilment of the conditions for registration on the special foreign electoral rolls. Alternatively, it is possible to fill in the basic data of the supporting documents and not attach supporting documents, but to authorise the Ministry of Interior to search for them, where this is supported by the relevant public bodies.

Said documents should certify two years of residence in Greece in the last 35 years, supported by insurance contributions (stamp card), an unemployment card from the OAED, a certificate from an insurance institution, attendance at a school, university, IEK or OAED school and/or a military service certificate.

The applicant can then confirm that the information provided in the application is correct and is informed that their submission has the status of an affidavit. They are then asked to accept that status in order to move forward.

After the final submission of the application, the applicant receives by e-mail a proof of successful submission with a protocol number and the process of verification and finalisation of the application begins.

If the application is accepted, the voter is entered on the special electoral roll for a period of eight years. If the application is rejected, the voter is informed of the right of appeal.

Those who are unable to complete and submit the online registration application may contact the relevant consular authorities of their country of residence, where their application will be submitted with the assistance of an accredited official.

In order for an expatriate Greek to vote in the city of their choice, a polling station must be established, i.e. there must be at least 40 voters who have expressed their interest to vote in the same city. Otherwise, they will be informed in which polling station they can exercise their right to vote.

Applications have been received from Australia, Britain, Germany, Belgium, Malta, Istanbul, Mexico, Thailand, Chile, Sudan, Budapest, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Tel Aviv.

Should the Greek national elections be held on 9 April 2023 the final call will be 10 March leaving special electoral rolls abroad open only until 27 February 2023.