Armenia banned citizens living abroad from voting in elections
The Armenian Parliament adopted amendments to the Electoral Code introducing a residency requirement for participation in parliamentary elections and referendums. From now on, citizens who permanently reside abroad will not be able to vote if they do not meet the new requirements.
According to the new rules, only citizens who have lived in Armenia for at least 366 days out of the last 730 will have the right to vote.
In the case of early elections, the period of 28 days before the voting day will be checked, but the requirement to have lived in the country for at least 366 days out of the previous 730 will also remain in effect.
Compliance with the new requirements will be monitored by law enforcement agencies. They will track border crossings and transfer the relevant data to the electronic voter registry.
At the same time, the changes do not apply to diplomats, government officials on official business trips abroad, their family members, or students studying at foreign higher education institutions.
The authors of the legislative changes explained their necessity by stating that citizens who live abroad for a long time may be less informed about the domestic political situation or may be influenced by other countries.
The innovation has already drawn criticism from the opposition, which announced its intention to challenge the law in the Constitutional Court.
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