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The conditions for voting in France (1/2)
The right to vote is the right to express your will in an election. Citizens elect their representatives.
Key points of the sheet
- Universal suffrage concerns citizens who have French nationality and are adults (over 18). They must also have their civic and political rights.
- You must be registered on the electoral rolls. You ask at the town hall (mairie) of the place where you have lived for more than 6 months.
- These citizens can vote without distinction of sex, origin, religion or political ideals.
- A national of a European Union country who lives in France can vote in European and municipal elections, if he is registered. For municipal elections, he must also have lived in the same town for more than 6 months.
- Voting is not compulsory: it is a right, not a duty. You can vote for another person only with a voting proxy (procuration de vote).
- Citizens have civic and political rights linked to voting. For example: standing for election, being a judge, serving in the army.
- A citizen sentenced to prison can be deprived of his civic and political rights.
Words to know
- right to vote (droit de vote)
- It is the right to express your will in an election.
- universal suffrage (suffrage universel)
- All citizens who meet the conditions can vote, without distinction of sex, origin, religion or political ideals.
- electoral rolls (listes électorales)
- You register on them at your request, at the town hall of the place where you have lived for more than 6 months.
- voting proxy (procuration de vote)
- It allows you to vote for another person.
- civic and political rights (droits civiques et politiques)
- They are rights linked to voting, such as being elected, being a judge or serving in the army.
Test yourself: 3 questions
In which elections can a European citizen living in France vote?
In French, the language of the exam: À quelles élections un citoyen européen résidant en France peut-il voter ?
A national of a European Union country living in France votes in European and municipal elections.
When can you vote for another person?
In French, the language of the exam: Quand peut-on voter pour une autre personne ?
You can vote for another person only if that person has made a voting proxy.
Which right is one of the civic and political rights?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel droit fait partie des droits civiques et politiques ?
The right to serve in the army is one of the civic and political rights linked to voting.
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
- Who can stand as a candidate in an election such as the presidential election?
- Which condition must you meet to vote in the presidential election?
- A person has no internet access and wants to register on the electoral roll. Where can they go?
- In which case can a judge take away a person's civic and political rights?
- A person loses their civic and political rights for 5 years after a conviction. What can they not do?
More in this topic (Democracy and the right to vote)
Source
Sheet “Les conditions pour voter en France (1/2)” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.