Voters born before 1944 may face removal from the electoral rolls unless they contact Greek authorities within two weeks to certify they are still living and apply for their removal to be revoked, under a process designed to clear the electoral rolls of voters who have long since passed away and whose deaths have not been reported.
The issue primarily concerns Greek expatriates who died abroad and whose deaths were not reported in Greece, inflating the electoral rolls and distorting the composition of the electoral body, as well as bumping up statistics on voter abstention. Indicatively, the rolls include some 10,000 individuals who would be over 116 years old if they were still alive.
Under a law passed in 2024, individuals meeting the following four criteria will be automatically removed from the list of voters:
- They were born before January 1, 1944
- They have submitted no tax statement and are not listed as dependents in any tax statement for the 2022 tax year, submitted up until December 31, 2023
- They do not have a valid Greek passport
- They do not receive a pension.
By cross-checking the records of the passport and tax office, the interior ministry found 440,654 voters meeting the above criteria who are scheduled to be removed from the electoral rolls. Individuals can confirm whether they are scheduled for removal on the platform mpp.ypes.gov.gr, which informs voters where they are registered to vote.
In order to prevent their removal, they must contact a Citizen Service Centre (KEP) where they vote or live, or their nearest consulate if they live abroad, and present an ID or other official document, including an expired passport. Alternatively, they can apply for an online appointment with the MyKEPlive service (mykeplive.gov.gr in the category 'Citizen and daily life' and selecting the relevant option).
The process can also be conducted by a properly authorised representative.
If the deadline is missed, interested parties can apply to the municipality where they are registered to vote to be re-registered in the electoral rolls, provided elections are not too near.