Corinne Cahen presents an interim review of the "I can vote" campaign and the latest figures on voter registration in view of the local elections on 11 June 2023

On 2nd March 2023, the Minister for Family Affairs and Integration, Corinne Cahen, presented a mid-term review of the "I can vote" awareness campaign and the latest figures on the registration rate of non-Luxembourgish residents in the National Register. On this occasion, she was accompanied by Emile Eicher, president of SYVICOL, who represents Luxembourg's 102 municipalities.

©MFAMIGR (from l. to r.) Emile Eicher, President of Syvicol; Corinne Cahen, Minister for Family Affairs and Integration
(from l. to r.) Emile Eicher, President of Syvicol; Corinne Cahen, Minister for Family Affairs and Integration

The Minister highlighted the importance of the political participation of every resident, whether a Luxembourger or a non-Luxembourger, in the municipal elections: "Democracy only works if everyone participates. It is therefore important that non-Luxembourgers also register to vote and participate in the elections on 11 June 2023. Municipal politics affect the daily life of all of us."

Emile Eicher, for his part, pointed out that the municipalities are particularly close to the citizens. "The municipalities have a whole range of important competences that directly affect the daily life of the citizens: the shelters and crèches, school transport, waste management, municipal planning and the promotion of housing. I therefore encourage all municipalities to participate in our National Registration Day and open their doors to all their citizens so that that they can register to vote."

Due to the amendment of the electoral law in July 2022, non-Luxembourg residents who have been resident in Luxembourg for less than five years also have the right to vote in local elections.

In May 2022, the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region and its partners launched the awareness campaign "I can vote" to raise awareness and inform all non-Luxembourg residents about their right to participate in the local elections on 11 June 2023.

Awareness-raising activities carried out by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region include:

  • Creation of awareness-raising material (posters, leaflets, dedicated website in five languages icanvote.lu)
  • Sending a communication package to the municipalities, the contractual partners of the integration department, the political parties and, depending on demand, to various companies, trade unions, youth centres and various doctors' surgeries.
  • Development of explanatory and testimonial videos, as well as continuous awareness-raising on social networks.
  • As part of the campaign, the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region regularly participates in events with an information stand, together with members of the CNE, multipliers and members of various CCCIs.
  • Two GRESILs (Groupe d'échange et de soutien en matière d'intégration au niveau local), which bring together local and regional actors to exchange on issues related to living together, focused on the theme of civic and political participation. Best practices were presented in the form of worksheets and videos to serve as a "guide" for members of the municipal integration consultative committees (CCCI) in organising their local and regional activities.
  • Three projects promoting political participation were selected through a call for projects under the PAN Integration 2022.
  • Together with CEFIS and EMN Luxembourg, the Ministry will organise the event "i can vote@uni.lu" at the University of Luxembourg to inform non-Luxembourgish students about their right to vote.
  • There is a close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth to disseminate an awareness campaign in the different educational institutions, such as watching short information films at the beginning of classes.
  • The Chambre des salariés distributes flyers to the participants of the training courses.
  • Since February 2023, many companies have participated in an awareness-raising campaign for their employees, where the Ministry presents the electoral modalities and encourages employees to register in the electoral rolls of their municipalities of residence.
  • Together with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Equality between Women and Men and SYVICOL, the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region will organise a National Registration Day to be held on 18 March 2023 (i.e. one month before the deadline for non-Luxembourgers to register).

Presentation of the new registration figures

In order to closely monitor the evolution of registrations on the electoral rolls, the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region is working with the Government IT Centre (CTIE) to obtain statistics on registrations broken down by certain individual characteristics and by municipality of residence.

Minister Corinne Cahen presented the new statistics on enrolments to the press: "People can feel when the elections are approaching. If 1,633 people registered to vote in January, they were 2,206 in February."

The current registration rate is 12.5% (32,197 people registered on the electoral rolls, potential voters: 224,888, total: 257,085).

The aim of the statistics is to be able to identify the groups of residents for whom the registration rate remains low and for whom information and awareness-raising efforts must continue by offering them incentives to participate in this important democratic moment, which is open to all.

Press release by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region

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