French residents in Monaco head to the polls on 31 May
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
The 5,656 French nationals registered on Monaco's consular electoral roll are voting for three representatives who will speak for them at the French Embassy for the next six years.
French nationals living in Monaco have until 31 May to elect their three Conseillers des Français de l'Étranger, the representatives who act as their official voice with the French Embassy and consular services. Online voting opened on Friday 22 May, with in-person polling stations available on Sunday 31 May for those who prefer to vote by ballot.
The consular roll in Monaco currently lists 5,656 registered French voters, making this one of the larger French expatriate constituencies in a single territory. The elected councillors serve a six-year term and feed into the Assemblée des Français de l'Étranger, the body that advises the French government on matters affecting citizens living abroad.
For French residents in the Principality, the vote has practical relevance beyond its formal purpose. Consular councillors handle a range of day-to-day concerns, from civil registration and schooling questions to welfare support for French nationals in difficulty. Residents who have not yet cast their online ballot have until the close of the internet voting window before Sunday's in-person session.