Tallinn: The European Parliament election has kicked off with Estonians casting their first votes. While the official election dates span from June 6 to 9, most countries will head to the polls on Sunday, June 9. However, Estonia has taken a three-day lead, allowing voting to commence from Monday, starting at 9 a.m. online and from midday in person.
The start of the voting process faced initial challenges, as some internet browsers blocked the specific app required for voting. Election officials are investigating the technical issue, although they assured that the voting itself and the verification of votes proceeded smoothly.
According to reports from Estonian public broadcaster, by around 11:30 a.m., 5,000 people had already cast their votes online.
Estonia is slated to have seven members out of 720 in the upcoming European Parliament.
The conservative Fatherland party, led by former Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, has been leading in the polls for the past six months. They have been advocating against green measures and are calling for greater oversight over the construction of a railway network connecting the Baltics to Poland.
How to Vote? In some member states, voters can only choose closed lists that do not allow changes in the order of preferred candidates. In others, they can select individual candidates using a preferential system. Depending on national laws, some voters abroad can cast their ballots at their national embassies, via mail, or electronically.
Who Can Run as a Candidate? Voters may choose individual candidates or delegates from political parties, depending on their country's electoral rules. Once elected, politicians from each nation will join the European groups that form the Parliament, based on their political orientations.
In some member states, such as Germany, candidacy in European elections is only open to nominees from political parties or political associations. Elected individuals cannot hold positions in national governments or other political bodies like the EU Commission, the Court of Justice, or the Court of Auditors. All candidates must be EU citizens.
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