On Sunday, March 15 and 22, 2026, nearly 50 million voters will head to polling stations across France as municipal elections take place. For some French citizens, a question arises: can they bring along their children or their pets when they go to vote? While it's not always easy to leave young kids or animals at home alone, many wonder whether they are allowed inside polling stations with them.
First of all, not everyone is allowed access to polling stations.Article L62 of the Electoral Code specifies that access to a polling station is reserved for registered voters. However, provided they do not disrupt the order of the place and the event, children are tolerated. They may even accompany their parents to thepolling booth.
What about the animals? Can you stop by your polling station in the middle of the dog's walk? Here, no precise rules have been laid down.
However, we would point out that guide or assistance dogs are allowed everywhere: refusing them entry to a place has been a discriminatory act since 1987. Similarly, the law specifies that attack, guard and defense dogs (categories 1 and 2) are prohibited in all public places, including polling stations.
For others, it's a case-by-case decision. Since there is no rule of thumb on this issue, it's up to the president of the polling station to decide what is and isn't allowed.
