Of the approximately 170,000 Greeks permanently residing in the United Kingdom, 4,876 were finally able to register on special electoral rolls, and at least four out of five were able to vote and voted on Saturday in the national elections. This is the majority of Greeks abroad, not only in percentage but also in absolute numbers, who said they want to vote at their place of residence.

The vast majority of them are people under 45 years old. Many of them settled in Britain in the last decade, and many voted for the first time in their lives.

According to Greek Ambassador to London Ioannis Tsausis, “the vote went smoothly and without any problems in all 12 constituencies created in the United Kingdom.”

Voters began to arrive early in the morning. In London, the process went very smoothly, embassy staff were on their feet from the first minute until late at night, helping and giving guidance to those who exercised their right to vote.

In the afternoon, as is usually the case, more people began to arrive, which led to queues and slight delays.

However, people seem to be enjoying the opportunity to vote abroad for the first time. Almost everyone said they were excited about the voting process. However, some pointed to the difficulties they encountered in registering on the voter lists.

However, as several voters noted, “the start is very good, and there will almost certainly be many more voters in the next election.” Already, according to information, there are almost 10,000 more people on the lists of foreign voters who will be eligible to vote in the next elections.

Participation has also been impressive, estimated at 80%, although the exact number is expected to be officially announced on Sunday by the Home Office. A sunny day in the British capital also contributed to this. That is why many voters came to the polls with their families, and some even brought their pets with them.

As in other constituencies abroad, state-sponsored ballots were used, and therefore voters did not place a preference cross next to the candidates’ names.

As soon as the polling stations closed, the election commissions counted the files without opening them. The voting packets with ballots will arrive by plane in Athens on Sunday and, escorted by the police, will end up at the Athens Court of Appeal. The counting of votes will take place there when the polls close throughout Greece.

Following last-minute changes, the 12 UK counties have the following registered entities: London 3858, Birmingham 295, Edinburgh 293, Leeds 276 and Glasgow 154.

Source: RES-IPE