On Saturday the Bierger-Centre in Luxembourg City will open its doors especially for foreigners to register to vote in October’s local elections. The cut-off date to be able to register is July 13. In a bid to encourage as many of the near 47 per cent of foreigners living in Luxembourg to register to go to the polls, the Bierger-Centre on Place Guillaume is allowing people who may not be able to go to register during the week to complete the three-step process on a Saturday. People of any nationality worldwide and who will be at least 18 years old on the day of the election, October 8, can register to vote if they have lived in Luxembourg for at least five years on the date of registration. The five years of residency do not have to run concurrently and can be an accumulation of a total of five years.
Registration can be done at your local commune until July 13 by taking a formal piece of identification and filling out two documents given at the commune.
During the 2011 local election only 17 per cent of foreigners eligible to vote appeared on the electoral list, according to a study by intercultural and social training centre, CEFIS.
A group of 10 organisations, led by voting and equal rights group ASTI (Association de Soutien aux Travailleurs Immigrés), have now come up with a proposal to the 105 communes and the political parties to boost foreigners’ participation in October’s election.
Full Article: Luxemburger Wort – Steps taken to encourage foreigners to vote in Luxembourg.
