More than 48,000 Lithuanian citizens who live abroad have registered to vote in the presidential election and the citizenship referendum to be held in May.
While that is only 12 percent of expatriate voters, the share is bigger compared to the last presidential election in 2019, notes Dalia Asanavičiūtė, chairwoman of the Seimas Commission of the Lithuanian World Community.
“Comparing the figure 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 on Friday.
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), reminds that voters can register on the election day when they come to cast their ballots at an embassy or a consular office.
“It is very important for those who vote by post to make haste so that they receive their ballot paper on time and the ballot paper is returned to the embassy,” she added.
About two-thirds of expatriate Lithuanians vote by post, she said.
The presidential election and the referendum will take place on May 12.
The referendum will ask voters whether to cross out a line from the constitution that prevents Lithuanian nationals from holding multiple citizenships. At the moment, Lithuanians who become citizens of another country lose their Lithuanian passport.
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