Greece has approved an electoral reform allowing citizens living abroad to vote by post in national elections, aiming to increase participation among the country's large global diaspora.
The legislation was passed by the Hellenic Parliament with the constitutionally required supermajority of 201 MPs. Under the new rules, Greeks living abroad will be able to vote by post in the upcoming national elections.
Voters will only place the nationwide "state ballot" of their chosen party in the envelope, without selecting individual candidates. This mirrors the procedure in Greece's 2023 national elections, when Greeks abroad were allowed to vote for the first time from their place of residence but had to cast their ballots in person at designated polling stations set up in embassies and consulates.
Votes cast abroad will count towards the overall national result and the allocation of parliamentary seats. The same postal process will also be used in subsequent repeat elections.
The reform also requires political parties to include at least one candidate from the Greek diaspora among the top three positions on their nationwide state ballot lists.
Furthermore, the law introduces a new three-seat electoral district for Greeks abroad. However, this provision will only come into effect at least 18 months after the next national election. For example, if elections are held in March 2027, the new diaspora constituency would first be applicable in elections after September 2028.
