The government expects overseas voting to become a significant factor in the next national election following the expansion of postal voting rights for Greeks living abroad.
The change, already used in the 2024 European Parliament elections, is introducing a new variable into electoral calculations. Government officials say it is still too early to make firm predictions, but they have begun assessing how participation by expatriate voters could affect the final result.
The starting point is modest. In 2024, 49,234 voters registered in the overseas electoral district and 36,700 ultimately cast ballots.
Officials hope turnout will rise in the next national election for four reasons: National elections traditionally attract greater participation than European elections; the postal voting process is now more familiar; the government plans an online-focused information campaign through embassies and consulates; and three overseas electoral districts have been created, allowing expatriates to vote for their own representatives for the first time.
Sources speaking to Kathimerini remain cautious but optimistic, setting a target of participation approaching 100,000 voters. New Democracy won 41% of the overseas vote in the European elections. If that level of support were repeated among 100,000 voters, the party could gain roughly 40,000 additional votes, equivalent to about 0.3 percentage points nationally.
