After approval by President Alar Karis, a constitutional amendment that removes the voting rights in local elections for citizens of third countries has come into effect, reports the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR). The law was previously approved by the parliament.
The amendment also strips voting rights from stateless individuals, holders of Estonia’s “grey passports.” According to the changes, they will be able to vote in the local elections on October 19, 2025, but will be excluded from voting in the 2029 elections.
“The decision that only Estonian citizens and citizens of European Union countries can vote in local elections is undoubtedly legitimate,” stated President Karis. He explained that the decision was made to “protect the internal peace” of the country. However, the Estonian president expressed the hope that those who lose their voting rights “would not feel that the state seeks to exclude them from public life or sees each of them as a security threat.”
