Sunday June 9, 2024 is the day when voters are invited to cast their ballots for their representatives in the European Parliament. Many French people will be at home with their families, but not everyone. A number of citizens work on Sundays, and have not necessarily set up a proxy to allow someone else to vote in their place. There's nothing to stop them exercising their civic right: they're perfectly entitled to take an hour off work to vote, and their employer can't object.
It can be difficult to vote if you work on a Sunday, as polling stations open at 8am and close at 7pm in most towns, i.e. during office hours. But for some years now, a law has made it possible to go and cast your ballot, even if your polling station is far from your work.
This law n°2015-990 of August 6, 2015, known as the Macron Law, was passed when the latter was still Minister of the Economy, during François Hollande's term in office. It states that employers must allow their employees who work at weekends to be able to vote in"national and local elections when these take place on Sundays" and must even"take all necessary measures" to do so.
These measures may include rearranging schedules, shortening or bringing forward working hours, a dedicated voting break during the day, a shift... However, an employee's absence from work means that he/she will not be paid for the hour he/she is away voting, since this is not actual working time.
European elections 2024: can you vote without your electoral card?
As the European elections approach, don't panic if you haven't received your electoral card! You don't need one to vote; a simple identity card or even your health insurance card is all you need to cast your ballot. [Read more]
European elections 2024: can you vote without your electoral card?
