On June 30, 2024, French citizens are called upon to cast their ballot once again, to decide on the new deputies to represent them in the National Assembly. In the evening, at around 8pm, we'll have an idea of the number of MPs for each party, but some people have the chance to find out before the official results, when the votes are counted at polling stations across the country. Anyone can attend, and here's what you need to know about this key event in an election.
Counting refers to "all the operations carried out in a polling station to count the ballot papers and announce the results of an election". Taking part in the count is therefore a civic act, carried out in public. All voters have the right to attend and take part, as long as they identify themselves to the assessors during or after their vote. They are then called scrutineers and are present alongside the members of the polling station.
The counting rules are strict, to ensure that there is no cheating and that the ballots are counted correctly. This begins with a check on the number of signatures, since the number of signatures must correspond to the number of ballot papers in the ballot box. The envelopes must then be counted and divided into blocks of 100. Finally, the scrutineers open the envelopes in groups of four, and count the votes for each candidate, as well as blank and invalid ballots.
2024 legislative elections: dates, procedure, everything you need to know about this unexpected election
In June 2022, the French were called to vote to choose their deputies. Less than two years later, it's that time again, following Emmanuel Macron's dissolution of the National Assembly. Find out all you need to know about these major elections, on June 30 and July 7, 2024. [Read more]
2024 legislative elections: dates, procedure, everything you need to know about this unexpected election
