Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus is considering opening a polling station in Brussels for May’s parliamentary election, interior ministry permanent secretary Elikkos Elia said on Saturday.
Overseas electoral register and polling station threshold
Elia told the Cyprus News Agency that the government is compiling a special electoral register of people who are to vote abroad. He said the government typically requires around 600 registered voters in a given location for a polling station to be opened.
Brussels added as an option
Elia said that, typically, the only cities abroad which can amass a significant number of voters are Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, London, and Manchester. However, he said that with Cyprus having undertaken the Council of the European Union’s rotating presidency for a six-month term which began in January, a large number of Cypriots are working in Brussels, and the city has been added as an option.
How to register to vote abroad
People who want to register to vote abroad can do so on the government’s website at elections.gov.cy, or in paper form by submitting the relevant form to a Cypriot embassy, high commission or consulate in Greece or in the United Kingdom. Applications can also be filed at district administration offices, citizen service centres, and citizen centres at post offices in Cyprus.
Previous polling stations abroad
At the most recent parliamentary elections in 2021, a total of 10 polling stations were opened abroad, four in Athens, four in London, and two in Thessaloniki. At the European Parliament elections of 2024, a total of 17 polling stations were opened outside of Cyprus, including seven in Athens, two in Thessaloniki, and one each in Patras, Heraklion, Ioannina, Komotini, and Volos.
Have you registered to vote abroad for May’s parliamentary election?