More than 48,000 Lithuanian citizens who live abroad have registered to vote in the presidential election and the citizenship referendum in Lithuania to be held in May. While that is only 12 percent of expatriate voters, the number is higher compared to the last presidential election in 2019, notes Dalia Asanavičiūtė, chairwoman of the Seimas/Lithuanian World Community Commission.
“Comparing the number of those who had registered by yesterday, which is 48,144, and five years ago on the same day, which was 38,103, there are 10,000 more people who have already registered and the number is growing every day,” Asanavičiūtė told LRT RADIO. Although there are about 400,000 Lithuanian citizens living abroad, Asanavičiūtė says it is natural that not everyone is registering to vote. According to her, not every city in the world has a Lithuanian embassy or a polling station, which complicates the voting process.
Lina Petronienė, chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (VRK), notes that voters can register on the election day when they come to cast their ballots at an embassy or a consular office. About two-thirds of expatriate Lithuanians vote by post, and should have received their ballots.
The presidential election and the referendum will take place on May 12. The referendum will ask voters whether they agree to the elimination of a sentence in the constitution that prevents Lithuanian nationals from holding multiple citizenships. At the moment, Lithuanians who become citizens of another country lose their Lithuanian passport.
