A much-anticipated law giving Greek citizens living abroad the right to cast their vote in national elections via mail-in ballots was passed by a wide majority of Parliament deputies on Wednesday afternoon.

The interior ministry draft bill aimed to fulfill one of the pledges made by the current Mitsotakis government back in 2019, i.e. giving Greek citizens living or temporarily residing abroad the right to participate in national elections.

Some provisions of the draft bill garnered as many as 201 “yea” votes by MPs in the 300-deputy Greek parliament.

Voting in favor were deputies from ruling center-right New Democracy (ND) party, main opposition PASOK party and 13 independent deputies in Parliament. The five remaining deputies affiliated with the Course of Freedom (Plefsi Eleftherias) party voted in favor of certain articles in the draft bill.
Most deputies from the lesser parties in Parliament voted against.

Those eligible to cast postal votes must be Greek citizens whose names are registered in election rolls.

Finally, articles stipulating the creation of a three-deputy election precinct for expatriate Greeks were also ratified by a majority and will apply in elections to be held at least 18 months after the first national election held after the bill passing.