Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has highlighted the importance of postal voting for Greeks living abroad, declaring that “the voice of Melbourne carries the same weight as that of a citizen in Athens.”
In a video message shared on social media, the Prime Minister outlined the new legislation recently approved by the Hellenic Parliament, which allows Greeks overseas to vote by post in future national elections, significantly expanding participation by the diaspora.
Under the new system, Greeks living abroad will be able to exercise their democratic right from their place of residence through postal voting, without needing to travel to polling stations or return to Greece.
Mitsotakis described the reform as a major step towards ensuring equal democratic rights for all Greek citizens, regardless of where they live.
He also noted that until 2019, Greeks residing overseas were required to travel to Greece in order to vote in national elections. The first significant reform came in 2023, when polling stations were established abroad for the first time, allowing members of the diaspora to vote in their country of residence.
The latest legislation expands this access even further, enabling voters to participate remotely by post – a system already used during the recent European elections.
“The voice of a citizen in Melbourne, London or Toronto carries the same weight as the voice of a citizen in Athens, Thessaloniki or Heraklion,” the Prime Minister said.
