Regional elections 2021. What is the voting method?

The regional elections allow the election of regional councilors every six years. Usually they take place in March, except in 2015 when they were postponed to December due to territorial reform. This year, the ballot is also postponed, in June, because of the Covid-19 epidemic which also involves some modifications of the electoral code.

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How are regional elections conducted?

Candidate lists for regional elections must be equal (alternating between men and women and include the same number of candidates of both sexes). They can be changed between the two turns. Although made up to scale regional, they are made up of sections representing each of the departments.

The regional councilors are elected by proportional representation in two rounds with majority bonus. In the first round, if a list obtains more than 50% of the votes cast, the seats are allocated immediately. Otherwise, it is in the second round that the distribution is made.

To participate in the second round, a list must collect at least 10% of the votes cast. If it obtains at least 5%, it has the right to merge with another list which can be maintained in the second round. This possibility often gives rise to alliances between the two rounds, with several lists joining together to try to win the ballot in the second round.

At the regional level, the list with the best score wins the majority bonus. That is to say, it is immediately granted a quarter of the available seats. Then, the remaining seats are distributed proportionally among the lists which have obtained at least 5%. Including the list that came first, which establishes its majority in the regional council.

Within each list, the seats won are distributed among the departmental sections that compose it in proportion to the votes obtained by the list in each department.

What changes this year due to the epidemic

The regional and departmental taking place at the same time, the electoral code has been amended to allow that in these times of crisis the same person can exercise the functions of chairman of both polling stations. The same goes for the secretary. Concretely, two urns can be installed in the same room which will be used for both ballots.

Note that the state has undertaken to cover the cost of masks and hydroalcoholic gel made available to voters and poll organizers who do not have them.

Another development linked to the epidemic, the same voter may be given two proxies when usually he is only entitled to one. A son will be able to vote for both parents, for example. During the second round of municipal elections in 2020, this crisis mechanism had already been put in place.

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For candidates, the expenditure ceilings provided for by the electoral code are increased by 20% and the duration of the electoral campaign is extended (19 days against 12 usually).

Candidates will also be allowed to set up a free phone number to allow voters to find out about their programs.

Finally, no later than 1^is avril 2021, the government must submit to parliament a report from the scientific committee on the state of the Covid-19 epidemic, on the health risks to be taken into account and on the adaptations necessary to organize the elections.

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