Municipal elections in France

Municipal elections in France allow the people to elect members of the City Council in each commune. These are called conseillers municipaux (city councilors). They elect the mayor, who chairs the city council, as well as Deputies to the Mayor. The term of office of councilors, the mayor and his deputies is, in principle, six years.

As of 7 November 2014, the most recent elections were held on 23 and 30 March 2014.

The are 95% determined by the municipal elections.

The election process is very different depending on the size of the municipality. Since the reforms introduced by Law No. 2013-403 of 17 May 2013, which will apply from the general election of municipal councils in 2014:

Prior to the 2013 reform, the proportional list was used only in municipalities with more than 3500 inhabitants The reform was mainly intended to enforce the rules of parity between men and women in the 6659 communes whose population ranged in 2013 between 1000 and 3500 inhabitants. While women represented 48.5% of municipal councilors in the municipalities of 3500 or more inhabitants at present, they represented only 32.5% of the seats in municipalities with less than 3500 inhabitants. With the new threshold, approximately 10,000 additional women were expected become municipal authorities, at least in deliberative assemblies.

The election of municipal councilors takes place by majority voting plurinominal, in two rounds with panachage:

Since the reform of 17 May 2013, a nomination filed with the prefecture or sub-prefecture is required. Isolated candidacies and incomplete lists are allowed, and can not be elected if they have not previously applied for candidacy. The votes are recorded individually, and panachage is allowed: Voters have the right to ignore the lists of candidates, voting for candidates from different lists.

In communes of over 1000 inhabitants, the election of councilors follows a list system in two rounds with proportional representation: candidates are presented in complete lists. During the vote, the voter can neither add to nor delete from the lists, or change the order of presentation of the lists.

Law No. 82-974 of 19 November 1982 replaced the old block vote in communes unit with 3500 inhabitants or more and by the current voting system, "which adds a premium and a majority proportional representation" (translated).

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