28.06.2016

Five elections on the horizon in Saint-Martin starting this fall

Saint-Martiners will be able to participate in the right-wing and left-wing primaries and then the local, presidential and legislative elections.

2017 will be a busy year in politics with the presidential election on Saturday April 22 and May 6 in the overseas departments (the next day in the mainland), and then the legislative elections on Saturday June 10 and 17 in the overseas departments.

In Saint-Martin, the population will have to go to the polls for a third time to elect the new Territorial council. This election, for which the date has not yet been revealed, should take place before the two national elections mentioned above, in March.

Only those over the age of eighteen who are registered to vote will be able to cast their vote in the ballot boxes. For that, it is necessary to complete the formalities with the concerned services of the Collectivité located on rue de la Liberté in Marigot (former seashore school) before December 31 of this year.

It should be noted that foreigners who are nationals of the European Union will be able to vote in the territorial elections.

In March 2012, 17,909 persons were registered to vote but only half voted. The second round of the local or territorial elections had in fact mobilized 55% of the voters. The participation rate had dropped to 38% for the presidential election (second round) and 37% for the election of the deputy.

RIGHT-WING AND LEFT-WING PRIMARIES

Please note that at the end of 2016, Saint-Martiners will also have the opportunity to participate in the right-wing/center and left-wing primaries. The first elections will be held on November 20 and 27; no date has yet been established for the left-wing primaries.

"The overseas vote will be organized according to the same conditions, while taking into account the time difference, as for a national election," said the right.

These purpose of these elections is to choose the candidate who will represent their party in the presidential election of March 2017. For the right, the list of nominations will be revealed on September 21.

Anyone can participate, including those who are not members of the party. For both the right and the left, voters will be asked to participate in financing the election. For the right, each voter will have to pay 2 euros per ballot. The left has not yet provided any details on this subject.

Please note that for the local and national elections in 2017, you will need to be registered to vote before December 31, 2016; in order to participate in the primaries, you have to be registered before December 31, 2015. In other words, if you are not yet registered on those lists, you will not be able to vote for the primaries. Or if you are registered on a list elsewhere than in Saint-Martin, you will have to vote in the commune where you are registered, while bearing in mind that voting by proxy should not be accepted in order to limit fraud.

 

 

Estelle Gasnet