site.btaIn Estonia, 9.8% of Eligible Voters Cast Ballots in European Elections

Some 97,000 people in Estonia, or 9.8% of those eligible to vote, have cast their ballots for representatives in the European Parliament in the first three days of the election week in the country. A total of 31,837 have voted by paper ballot. About twice as many, 64,597, chose to vote online, according to the Estonian National Electoral Committee data as of 3 a.m. on June 6.

In the Estonian capital, Tallinn, as many as 15,267 people voted by paper ballot and 23,714 online. In Tartu, 4,354 cast their vote in-person, while 5,529 voted electronically. The total number of people eligible to vote is 979,939.

The European Parliament election week in Estonia runs from June 3 to 9. Voters can vote online until Saturday. On June 9, voting can only take place at a polling station. If a voter casts their vote online and then votes in person with a paper ballot, their electronic vote will not count.

In addition to online voting, advance voting will take place at at least one polling station in each municipality up until Thursday, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. In the same time frame, voting will also take place in prisons and hospitals.

From June 7 to 8, advance voting will be possible at all 377 polling stations from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Voting at home and at the location of the voter will take place from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voting at Estonian missions abroad ended last week. A total of 523 Estonians living permanently or temporarily abroad cast their vote.