Immigration Belgium grants voting rights to all foreign residents

Maciamo · Nov 22, 2005

Active campaign for expat local council voting rights

Expatica said:
...
Federal legislation passed in February 2004 means non-EU nationals will be able to vote for the first time at the local elections in October 2006.

It will also be the first time that many EU nationals will be able to vote because the expansion of the union by 10 member states in May 2004 took place after the last local council elections.

Both EU citizens and non-EU nationals will first need to register before they can place a vote. However, the number of EU nationals who registered for the 2000 local elections was disappointingly low.
...
While a campaign has already been started in Wallonia to convince foreigners living in Belgium to vote at the local elections, no such campaign has been initiated in Flanders.
...
The Flemish government will compile a document outlining the practicalities of how voters can register for the elections. The text will be written in every EU and non-EU language.

We have already discussed whether foreigners should have the right to vote in their country of residence in the thread Should foreign citizens be allowed to run for public office in a country?.

Under EU laws, all EU citizens are allowed to vote at local and EU elections in the EU country where they live. Some countries like Belgium have extended that right to all foreigners. In Japan, only a handful of municipalities have granted permanent residents only (not other foreign residents) the right to vote at local elections (only).

I find it quite impressive that the Belgian government goes as far as to advertise these rights to all its foreign residents and especially translate the document with the practicalities in every language of any country represented (!).

Immigration Belgium grants voting rights to all foreign residents

Maciamo

Veteran member