“Comparing the data of yesterday’s registrants, who is over 48 thousand. 144 and the number of those who registered on the same day five years ago, which was 38 thousand. 103, it is obvious that 10 thousand already more people have registered and that number is increasing every day,” Dalia Asanavičiūtė, chairperson of the Seimas World Lithuanian Community Commission, told LRT radio on Friday morning.
Although there are approximately 400,000 people living abroad. Lithuanians, according to D. Asanavičiūtė, the fact that the number of registered persons is lower than those who have the right to vote is a “natural phenomenon”.
“Citizens are scattered all over the world, and not every city has embassies or polling stations,” she explained about the voting procedure.
According to Lina Petronienė, chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), approximately 60,000 people registered for the referendum held five years ago. Lithuanians living abroad.
“If we compare with the Seimas elections, in which Lithuanians living abroad were able to vote last, the number (of those registered – ELTA) is already higher, as in 2020 there were 43 thousand. with a half. If we compare it with the presidential election five years ago and the referendum, it is even smaller, because 60,000 registered and 52,000 participated,” she told LRT radio.
According to the chairman of the CEC, foreign Lithuanians coming to the embassy or consular office to vote can register on the same day. However, according to L. Petronienė, in order to receive the ballot on time, it is currently important for citizens who vote by mail to hurry.
ELTA reminds that on May 12 this year, during the first round of the presidential elections in Lithuania, residents will also vote in a referendum on multiple citizenship.
In the referendum ballot, it will be proposed to abandon the sentence currently written in the Constitution: “except for the individual cases provided for by law, no one can be a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania and another state at the same time”. This provision does not allow the preservation of Lithuanian citizenship after acquiring the citizenship of another state.
After the citizens decide, the detailed procedures for acquiring and losing dual citizenship would be provided by the constitutional law.
In order for the referendum to be considered to have taken place, more than half of the country’s citizens with the right to vote must participate in it. However, in order for the issue to be decided by the referendum to be accepted, more than half of all persons with the right to vote would have to speak in favor of it.
Tags: people registered participate referendum foreign Lithuanians
