:) ok ok David, in the name of gender equality: one person one vote!
One person one vote? :)
Jane - sorry if you think I accused you of anything. Was not my intention. (Haven't even replied to you, but to Glyn). But I do agree with you, though: one woman, one vote. End of story.
Ditte, unlike your relatives, I would not take advantage of being registered to vote in two places. One man, one vote and I do take exception to your comments that I most likely am.
I have to be registered to vote here in the local commune elections and the system here is that the register is comb fed with the European elections. I want to vote in the commune election and have explained my problem to our Mayor, who is looking into this here in France.
I have also clarified my position with the Electoral Commission in the UK.
Voting fraud is a criminal offence, no matter what your intention.
No, there are no Euroconstituencies. You are represented by the MEP of the constituency where you lived before you moved to France, just as in national elections.
You are entitled to vote in the UK for fifteen years after you have left, although this is being challenged at the moment. See Shirley Morgan’s posts.
The method of representation can differ in each country, but I am not sure on how that works. The EU has regulations to cover the freedom of movement for people between member nations and also covers the other areas eg health.
We do not pay tax anymore in the UK, but are UK citizens, which gives us the right to vote in elections.
We still have a huge financial interest in the UK because our pensions are covered by UK financial law and we have our daughter and grandchildren living there.
Thanks Jane but I'm sorry I still don't understand how a person can live in France and have a British MEP - I expect I am being very dim. Does that mean that there are Euroconstituencies in France which are represented by British MEPs & if so does the same apply to all European states? Do Dutch/Spanish/Italian etc people resident in France have a Dutch/Spanish/Italian MEP? Have I got a British MEP, as I am a UK citizen, seeing I don't live or pay taxes in the UK? & if so, which one?
Yes I do live in France Veronique, but as I explained because we are not French citizens we have other regulations which are guaranteed by the EU. On previous posts I have explained how I have been discriminated against by the CPAM solely on the grounds that I am a British retiree living in France.
My British MEP recognised that this was not only a case that affected m personally, but all British retirees living in France and spoke to the right Head of Section and the French have admitted that they have not understood the regulations properly. I have spoken to one of my French friends and they have contacted their MEP twice and not even received an acknowledgement.
This is why I recommend voting for your UK MEP, specially if you need specialist help and your French is not as god as it should be.
You should not be able to vote in both countries for the European Elections. However, from what you described you most likely are ...
Have Dutch relatives here in France that one or two elections back got a voting card from Holland, as well as their French one - and voted on both to test what happened. And what did happen then? Absolutely nothing. They are convinced both their votes got counted. So it seems there might be a glitch in the system.
Don't you live in France Jane? Have you got a British Euro MP to represent you? How does that work? Are there British MEPs with constituencies in France? (I had no idea such a thing existed)
If you are registered to vote in the UK you can vote in general elections, European elections and any referendum.
As we are not French citizens we often come under European legislation rather than French. I would not trust a French MEP to have my interests at heart as much as a British one. I will therefore, be voting in the UK European elections.
You are correct that you cannot vote in both.
I THINK you can still vote in the UK General Election as obviously you wouldn't be able to vote in the equivalent here. Willing to stand corrected though!