After the last municipal elections, many foreigners, us amongst them, realized too late that they could have been eligible to vote, and perhaps they could have made a difference in that election, which was determined by only about a dozen votes.

Living in Crete, all of us should be concerned about our local townships. As we reside in Kokkini Hani, we set out to see if registering to vote for the Gouves Township elections was as easy as we had been told.

The answer is an emphatic yes!

In our case we went along to the Gouves Town Hall on the former American base in Gournes, and were directed to the large office to the left, and it is basically the same in all townships.

All that's necessary is a current passport and residence permit. We were asked the usual questions, father’s name, mother’s name, etc, and then told to fill in a simple form . . . and it was that simple.  In all, it took only 20 minutes and if your Greek is better than ours it will take even less time!

And now, all we have to do is go to the township office again a few days before the election to find out where we have to go to vote, and on Election Day go along with our passports.

Not only does any EU citizen who resides in Greece, and is over the age of 18, have the right to vote in the municipal elections, they can stand as a candidate in the township in which they reside.

No, contrary to persistent rumors, we are not running for the town council, but we would urge everyone who is concerned about the area to register so they can vote on election day, November 14.

And, on a final note on the importance of the foreign vote, Prime Minister George Papandreou has recently emphasized that "the participation of all legal immigrants in the matters of local governments is essential for the guarantee of social peace and unity." 

(Editor's Note: Registration is open up to one month before Election Day.)