Voters are called to participate in the second round of legislative elections this Sunday, June 7. But they must have certain documents to be authorized to vote, which ones? Is the electoral card obligatory?
Voters are starting to get to know the way to the polling stations after having participated in two elections in one month. They will take the same one again this Sunday, July 7, to participate in the second round of the legislative elections, but after that they should not have to take it again until 2026, unless there is a new unannounced election. This election, which is taking place three years ahead of the date initially planned, will allow the election of French deputies and determine the new composition of the National Assembly. And the balance of power within the chamber could be profoundly revised depending on the results of the legislative elections.
The stakes are such that 66.7% of people registered on the French electoral rolls participated in the first round of the legislative elections. Armed with their electoral card, they went to slip a ballot into the ballot box. But did they all have their electoral card? Not sure, because the electoral card is not mandatory to vote as long as the voter can prove his identity and his registration on the electoral rolls.
Why do you have to show your voter card to vote?
It is strongly recommended to present your voter card to the assessors on election days, but this is not mandatory. The voter card is a kind of proof of your right to vote, your registration on the electoral lists and your attachment to a particular polling station, and that is all it is used for. But the assessors can ensure your presence on the voters’ lists even without a voter card, because for this, the identity of the voter is sufficient.
Theoretically, to vote a voter must present his electoral card and his identity document in order to vote, but in reality only an identity document on which a photo appears is really mandatory. Moreover, a voter with only an identity document can vote, while another who only presents his electoral card is not authorized to put a ballot in the ballot box. An exception exists however in cities with less than 1000 inhabitants. In these municipalities too it is advisable to present both documents, but voters can simply bring one of the two: electoral card or identity document. This is the only case in which an identity document is not mandatory to vote. But it is possible that an assessor asks voters to prove their identity with an official document.
With or without a voter card, voters must absolutely be registered on the electoral lists (and on the correct ones) in order to be able to vote. In this regard, voters registered by a court decision must, in addition to the voter card and/or an identity document, present this decision to the assessors.
What documents can be presented to vote?
If a voter can do without a voter card to vote, he must present an identity document. For this, several documents can be used as long as an identity photograph is present:
- National Identity Card ;
- passport ;
- driving license ;
- health card;
- civil servant card;
- SNCF large family card;
- military ID card;
- hunting permit ;
- military or civilian disability card;
- fighter card.
How to obtain your voter card?
The electoral card goes hand in hand with registration on the electoral lists. To receive one, you must therefore register on the lists by taking the necessary steps on the French administration website. Registration is automatic for new voters when they are 18 years old, but it can also be done voluntarily and manually after moving or obtaining French nationality.
If a voter card is lost or stolen, a voter already registered on the electoral roll can then obtain a certificate of registration on the electoral roll from the town hall. The document serves as a voter card for voting on election day.