Credit: Jazmin Campbell
The deadline to register to vote in Luxembourg for the European elections is fast approaching.
EU citizens residing in the Grand Duchy have until Monday 15 April 2024 (at 17:00) to register to vote in the elections, which are taking place across the European Union from 6 to 9 June. In Luxembourg, voters will head to the polls on Sunday 9 June 2024.
Every five years, people registered on the electoral rolls in Luxembourg vote for the country’s six Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). All Luxembourgish nationals and other EU citizens aged eighteen and over and residing in the Grand Duchy are eligible to vote; there is no minimum residency requirement. Voting is mandatory for all registered voters.
Recent data from Eurostat, based on national estimates, suggested that 488,446 people were eligible to vote in the upcoming elections. Whilst Luxembourg nationals are automatically registered, non-nationals (who are also EU citizens) wishing to vote must register by the aforementioned deadline (i.e. 55 days before the elections). Note that voters can only vote once in the European elections - either in their country of origin or their country of residence. To register to vote in Luxembourg, visit Guichet.lu: https://guichet.public.lu/en/citoyens/citoyennete/elections/elections-europeennes/inscription-listes-electorales-europeennes.html.
Registered voters will receive a letter from the local authorities at least five days before the elections. This letter will contain information concerning the date of the elections and the opening hours of the relevant polling station, as well as instructions and the list of candidates.
Once registered, voters (with an address in Luxembourg) looking to opt for postal voting must make their request to their municipality of residence between twelve weeks and 25 days before election day (i.e. between 18 March and 15 May 2024). Further details about this procedure are also available on Guichet.lu: https://guichet.public.lu/en/citoyens/citoyennete/elections/elections-europeennes/vote-correspondance-elections-europeennes.html.
Luxembourg’s current MEPs are: Marc Angel of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP; part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats), who is also Vice-President of the European Parliament; Charles Goerens of the Democratic Party (DP; Renew Europe Group); Martine Kemp of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV; Group of the European People's Party - EPP); Tilly Metz of the Greens (déi Gréng; Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance); Monica Semedo (formerly DP, now Fokus; Renew Europe Group); Isabel Wiseler-Lima of CSV (EPP).
Local candidates and activists have been encouraging EU citizens residing in Luxembourg to vote where they live in order to have a greater impact. As reported by Change for Luxembourg, a local grassroots participation movement, one Luxembourg MEP “represents 100,000 people compared to an average of 650,000 across Europe”.
