Elections in Monaco

Monaco has one commune. Elections therefore select representatives at two levels: the Conseil National represents the national level, and the Conseil Communal governs the municipality. The Prince, the Ministre d'État and the Government are appointed rather than elected, so an election does not itself change the Government. Executive authority remains under the high authority of the Prince and is exercised through the Ministre d'État. The Government is not politically responsible to the Conseil National in the usual parliamentary sense. The electorate consists of people with Monégasque nationality who have reached the age of 18. Voting is universal, direct and secret, subject to legal exclusions such as certain criminal convictions, non-rehabilitated bankruptcy, judicial restrictions on capacity or a court-ordered loss of voting rights. A person in contumax status has suspended voting rights. Voters must apply for entry on the permanent electoral list; registration is not automatic. The list is reviewed each year from 15 October, normally closed on 31 December, and provides the sole basis for elections held from 1 January to 31 March. A person who is omitted or wrongly removed can complain within 15 days and may then use the applicable court procedure before the Tribunal de première instance and, where provided, the Tribunal Suprême. The Conseil National has 24 members elected for five years in a complete renewal. Monaco uses a one-round plurinominal list system, meaning that voters select candidates from lists rather than casting one vote for only one seat. Panachage allows voters to combine candidates from different lists, and there is no preferential ranking system. A list must contain at least 13 candidates and uses an alphabetical presentation. Sixteen seats go to the candidates with the highest individual vote totals under the majoritarian part of the system. Eight seats are distributed proportionally among lists that reach at least 5% of the valid votes, using the electoral quotient and the highest-average method; seats are then assigned within each qualifying list according to candidate votes. A tie is decided in favour of the older person. The Conseil Communal has 15 members elected for four years. Communal elections use a plurinominal majority system with up to two rounds and allow panachage without preferential ranking. In the first round, a candidate needs an absolute majority and votes from at least one quarter of registered electors. If seats remain, the second round uses a relative majority and does not depend on a minimum turnout. A tie is decided in favour of the older person. Thirty days after the election, the Conseil Communal elects the Maire and Adjoints from among its members. A national election is held on a Sunday on or after the eleventh Sunday before the mandate ends. A communal election is held on a Sunday on or after the thirtieth Sunday before the mandate ends. An arrêté ministériel convenes the election at least 20 days in advance. When national and communal elections fall in the same year, they must be separated by at least 21 days. After dissolution, a new election must take place within three months. A candidate must be an elector and satisfy the relevant nationality, age and legal conditions. For the Conseil National, the candidate must be at least 25 and have held Monégasque nationality for at least five years. For the Conseil Communal, the minimum age is 21 and the five-year nationality requirement also applies. Statutory ineligibilities and incompatibilities can prevent candidature. Filing takes place at the Secrétariat général de la Mairie between the sixteenth and twentieth day before the election. A filing identifies the candidates and the list's own designation; an individual candidature also requires a mandataire financier. If the Maire rejects a filing, the candidate can apply to the President of the Tribunal de première instance within 24 hours, with a decision due within 48 hours. The campaign begins on the day after the nomination deadline. Candidates and lists receive equal poster spaces assigned by drawing. Posters may not be placed after midnight at the start of election day. Financial accounting covers activity from 150 days before the election. The Commission de Vérification des Comptes de Campagne checks income, expenditure, deadlines and supporting documents, and reports are published in the Journal de Monaco. The documented 2023 reference ceilings were EUR 325,000 for a national election and EUR 203,000 for a communal election. The 2023 reference donation limits were 10% of the applicable ceiling per person or entity and a cumulative maximum of 20% for each candidate or list. The applicable amounts must be checked in the current arrêté before each election. A procuration is a proxy arrangement allowing another voter to cast the ballot. Current rules cover a voter prevented from attending on honour or a detained voter who provides the required proof. The application can be made through the Mairie, a diplomatic or consular representation, or a secure electronic procedure. One procuration covers one election, including a possible second round. The mandatary must be entitled to vote and entered on the electoral list, and one mandatary may hold no more than two procurations. The voter may still vote personally if the mandatary has not yet exercised the proxy. At the polling station, the voter presents a carte d'électeur together with a valid identity card or passport. The ballot is completed in a secret booth, and the voter signs the electoral list. A voter with a disability may receive assistance from another person who is voting at the same time. Counting begins immediately after voting and takes place publicly under the bureau de vote. The result is announced without delay, sent to the Ministre d'État and published in the Journal de Monaco. The Conseil National meets to constitute itself on the eleventh day after the election and elects its Président and Vice-Président. The Conseil Communal elects the Maire and Adjoints on the thirtieth day. An elector can challenge an election within five days by complaining to the Maire or requesting that the objection be entered in the procès-verbal. The Ministre d'État has an eight-day period for the relevant challenge. The Tribunal de première instance may alter the proclamation or annul the election in whole or in part. Appeal and recours en révision generally have ten-day periods. A challenged Conseiller remains in office until the final decision, and a new or supplementary election must be held within three months after a final judgment requiring it. The last documented national election took place on 5 February 2023: 7,594 people were registered, 4,349 voted and turnout was 57.26%; L'Union - Union Nationale Monégasque won all 24 seats. The last documented communal election took place on 19 March 2023: 7,605 people were registered, 3,016 voted and turnout was 39.66%; L'évolution communale won all 15 seats.