The number of Greeks living abroad who are planning to vote in the general election on May 21 reached nearly 29,000 by Tuesday’s registration deadline.
Greeks living abroad are allowed to vote in national elections on May 21 if they have lived in this country for at least two consecutive years in the past 35 and have submitted a tax declaration with the local authorities this year or last.
Α few thousands applications were rejected apparently for not meeting the requirements, Mega TV Live News reported late on Tuesday.
It also added that it is not clear if all approved voters can vote as it needs at least 40 voters in a area in order to open a poll center.
Meta TV also criticized the cost of the opening polling centers abroad saying that a lawyer with ballot papers will have to travel abroad for this purpose.
“This is a high cost including accommodation, travel expenses etc” Mega said adding that “voting per envelope should be reconsidered.”
One question is also whether the Greeks abroad would travel to the polling center for a second time as it looks that no winner will emerge from the first round of elections on May 21, 2023.
In a related development, meanwhile, the agency responsible for setting up polling stations abroad is also pondering a ballot box in Vilnius, Lithuania, which is hosting the Final Four of the Euroleague basketball championship from May 19-21, amid expectations of a significant turnout of Greek fans.
Can’t be done online like everything else this government boasts about? Pathetic.