A deep break in the way Local Government operates is brought by the new Local Government Code.
Specifically, the possibility of electronic voting is introduced for the first time in local elections, in advisory municipal referendums and in the election of youth councils.
This reform attempts to move a significant part of the democratic process to the digital environment. The aim is to increase citizen participation, familiarise citizens with new technologies and facilitate those who are far from where they are citizens.
At the heart of the plan is the possibility of exercising the right to vote by electronic voting for the election of mayors, municipal councils, regional mayors and regional councils, starting with the 2028 elections.
The draft law, put out for public consultation by Interior Minister Thoris Livanios, stipulates that the electronic process will be optional and will operate alongside the traditional ballot box.
Citizens will be able to choose either physical attendance or online participation. To avoid double voting, those who opt for the electronic process will be registered on special electoral rolls and will not be able to vote by physical presence.
The special registers will be maintained by the Interior Ministry and will include full voter identification and contact details. Registration will be done through a special application on gov.gr, using taxisnet codes and confirmation through one-time passwords (OTP).
At the same time, it is envisaged that personal data will be processed in accordance with the GDPR and the Greek legislation on the protection of personal data.
The e-voting process will take place in special e-voting polling stations, which will operate throughout the country, as long as there are at least 30 registered voters per municipality.
Voters will not have to be in the municipality where they are registered. They will be able to turn up at any special e-voting polling station operating in the country.
Once identified, the voter will be removed from the electronic voter list and taken to a special computer or tablet area where they will exercise their right to vote.
The new procedure is expected to make it easier for workers who are far from their place of residence, heterodemocrats and young people who are more familiar with digital tools.
Particular emphasis is also placed on the institutional armouring of the system. The Code provides for the creation of special committees to oversee and evaluate electronic voting.
A special Software Evaluation Committee with academics from the EIMP, the ECPA and the University of Piraeus will monitor the operation of the system and submit a report to the Parliament’s Institutions and Transparency Committee.
At the same time, the election process will be supervised by a five-member election committee with the participation of the vice-president of the Supreme Court, members of the Council of State and academics.
Municipal referendums will also be electronic
The new Code provides that municipalities will be able to call advisory municipal referendums on issues that exclusively concern their competences.
Excluded are matters of fiscal management, fees and administrative boundaries.
The initiative may come either from the city council by a two-thirds majority or from the citizens themselves, provided that signatures representing at least 10% of registered voters are collected.
The collection of signatures will be done through a special digital portal, while the Legality Supervisor will check the legitimacy of the petition before the referendum is held.
Municipal referendums will be conducted exclusively by electronic voting in cooperation with EDYTE S.A., and the result will be advisory to the city council.
The Code also provides for specific validity requirements. Referendums cannot be held during the campaign period of national or European elections, nor in the same year as local elections.
In addition, a minimum participation of either 30% of registered voters or 50% of those who participated in the last local elections is required.
Electronic voting for youth councils as well
The electronic procedure will also be applied to the election of youth councils, with the aim of strengthening the participation of the younger generation in municipal life.
The establishment of youth councils is foreseen in all municipalities with more than 2,000 inhabitants.
Members will be elected exclusively by electronic voting and will act in an advisory capacity on youth, education, culture, sport and social policy issues.
Young people up to 29 years of age will be eligible to participate. The elections will be held twice during the municipal term, via a special platform on gov.gr.
Nominations will be submitted exclusively online, while identification will be done through taxisnet and the National Communication Registry.
The number of members will depend on the population of each municipality. It will start from three members for small municipalities and go up to fifteen members in the Municipality of Athens.
The new councillors will have the right to participate in municipal council meetings with the right to speak, and will be able to raise issues at special accountability meetings of the municipal authorities.
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