Greeks living abroad will be able to vote by mail in the upcoming national elections, after Parliament approved the main provisions of a government bill with the required two-thirds majority.
The relevant articles secured between 201 and 207 votes from lawmakers from the ruling New Democracy party, the main opposition PASOK and more than a dozen independents, passing the constitutional threshold necessary for the reform to enter into force.
However, a special provision establishing a three-seat electoral district for the diaspora was passed by a simple majority of 162 votes and will therefore not be implemented in the 2027 general election, as it failed to meet the higher majority requirement.
Until now, Greeks residing abroad were required to cast their votes in person at consular authorities, often traveling long distances to do so. Postal voting was introduced for expatriates in the 2024 European Parliament elections, but had not previously been extended to national elections, writes ekathimerini.
