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[2] 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.
With the new threshold, approximately 10,000 additional women were expected become municipal authorities, at least in deliberative assemblies.
[3] The election of municipal councilors takes place by majority voting[4] plurinominal, in two rounds with panachage: independent/non-partisan candidacies are permitted[6] and panachage is allowed: Voters have the right to ignore the lists of candidates, voting for candidates from different lists.
[10] Since the Act of 17 May 2013 for the election of county councilors, city councilors and community councilors and amending the electoral calendar (translated), these rules apply for communes with at least 1000 inhabitants,[11][12] The election may be limited to a single round in the case of an absolute majority, or give rise to a second round, in which case: Municipal elections in communes with more than 1000 inhabitants use the rule majority voting with proportional rate: the first half (rounded if necessary to the next whole number) are assigned seats to be filled from the list with the most votes; other seats are distributed among all the lists present in the final round that took more than 5% of votes cast (including the majority list) which is called proportional to the strongest average.
[16] In three of France's most populated cities, the election is by electoral area, following the same rules as communes over 1000 inhabitants.
[20] The law of November 1982, which is part of a package of reforms being made by the fr:Loi du 31 décembre 1982 relative à l'organisation administrative de Paris, Marseille, Lyon et des établissements publics de coopération intercommunale (Law of 31 December 1982 relating to the administrative organization of Paris, Marseilles, Lyon and public establishments for cooperation) on the specific case of the three biggest cities of France, changed the composition of municipal councils, maintaining the same segments of the population, from 9 to 49 members.
[Note 3] The municipal election is open to all French voters and members of the European Union residing in the township or paying taxes to the commune,[33] that is to say, a person who: Voters elect candidates within the municipal district they are registered in (the town, or borough, in the case of Paris, Lyon, and Marseilles).
[36] Many provisions of the electoral code establish reasons for ineligibility, to ensure both the freedom of conscience and independence of elected officials.
Thus, for example, that candidates can be certain officials in the municipalities affected by the exercise of their function (prefects, judges, police, military officers, agents of the town ...),[37] and after the 2014 elections, some executives of the Public establishment for cooperation between communes with their own tax which the town adheres.
[38] The cost of organizing elections is borne by the state and municipalities in which the polling stations are located.
[40] Reimbursements are paid by the state to lists winning at least 5% of votes cast in one of two ballots in the towns of 2500 people or more.
In municipalities with smaller populations, lists who want to send printed material to voters and/or a ballot insert must distribute their own and must deliver the printed inserts to the mayor at the latest noon the day before the election[42] or polling stations on the day of the election.
This implies that these lists: These provisions in fact reduce the opportunity to present "whimsical" candidates who are not established locally or who do not have the resources of an organized party.
For smaller municipalities (multi-member majority vote), only the winners are cited, without specifying their original list or the rate of mixing.
For others, the election is proportional representation with one round[52] But as soon as 1964, the law completely eliminated proportional representation:[53] The law of 19 July 1976 changed the boundaries of the sectors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon and created sectors for Toulouse and Nice[54] The law of 19 November 1982 established the current voting protocols:[55] The voting takes place by commune except Paris, Marseille and Lyon for which law on the administrative organization of Paris, Marseille, Lyon provides that voting may be by sector.