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Diaspora Vote
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Diaspora Vote

The proposal in plain language

Why this change is needed

Albania has one of the largest diasporas in Europe relative to its population. Albanians live and work in Italy, Greece, Germany, the United Kingdom, the US, Canada, and many other countries. Yet most of them cannot vote, not because they don't want to, but because the system makes it nearly impossible.

  • 3.7 million

    registered voters on Albania's voter lists (2025)

    Source: KQZ

  • 2.4 million

    residents living in Albania (2023 Census)

    Source: INSTAT

  • 1.2 to 1.7 million

    eligible citizens living abroad (estimate)

    Source: Estimate based on KQZ and INSTAT data

  • About 246,000

    registered to vote from abroad in 2025

    Source: KQZ

  • About 1 in 8

    eligible Albanians abroad voted in 2025

    Source: Estimate based on KQZ data

  • 78%

    of registered diaspora voters cast a ballot in 2025

    Source: KQZ

The diaspora: from eligible voters to ballots cast

  • Eligible citizens abroad (midpoint estimate)1,450,000

    Source: Midpoint of the 1.2 to 1.7 million estimate based on KQZ and INSTAT data.

  • Registered to vote from abroad (2025)246,000

    Source: KQZ

  • Ballots received (2025)191,900

    Source: KQZ

Once registered, about 78% of diaspora voters cast a ballot. The barrier isn't willingness. It's registration.

Source: KQZ 2025 data; ballots received divided by registrations, rounded.

Renewing documents is a heavy burden

Albanian passports and ID cards require fingerprints to be taken in person, and this can only be done at a limited number of embassies and consulates. For a family in southern Italy, a village in Greece, Germany, England, or America, that often means hours of travel or a flight, lost workdays, and real expense, all for one document. For many people, especially the elderly and those working long hours, it simply doesn't happen. The document expires, and with it, their voice in elections.

What renewal can involve

These examples show how travel and paperwork can make renewal harder. Not every applicant faces the same barriers. Services and rules can change, so check official guidance before planning a trip.

  • Italy

    For a family living far from an application office, a biometric appointment can mean travel between cities, time off work and arranging childcare. Applying online does not replace the visit in person.

    Source: Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

  • Greece

    For someone living on an island or far from the application office, an appointment can mean a ferry, a bus and a day away from work. Transport timetables must fit the appointment time.

    Source: Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

  • Germany

    For applicants using the embassy in Berlin, bank payment must be made before the appointment, and old documents must be brought along. Travel, advance paperwork and time away from work add to the burden.

    Source: Albanian Embassy in Germany

  • United Kingdom

    Applications start through e Albania, but fingerprints still require a visit to London. The embassy lists no expedited service, so an approaching deadline can leave little room for delays.

    Source: Albanian Embassy in the United Kingdom

  • United States

    Large distances can turn one consular appointment into a flight, an overnight stay and time away from work. Completing the application online does not remove the need to attend for biometrics.

    Source: Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

  • Canada

    Travelling from another province to the application service in Ottawa can mean a flight and an overnight stay. For a family, document fees can be only part of the cost, alongside several tickets and lost workdays.

    Source: Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

The 2025 election: a temporary fix

In 2025, the government allowed Albanians abroad to register with expired documents through a temporary decree. Thousands of people used it. But the decree applied only to that election. For 2029, there is no guarantee. Every election, diaspora voters have to hope the government of the day decides in their favor again.

Why it must be written into law

A right that depends on a temporary decree is not a guaranteed right. In Kosovo, in 2026, an electoral body struck down permission to vote with expired documents because the law required valid ones. Only an amendment to the Electoral Code gives diaspora voters certainty, election after election.

Register once, vote every time

Today, diaspora voters must register from scratch for every election, even if they voted before. Many of them know a better system firsthand. In Italy, home to one of the largest Albanian communities, Italian citizens registered abroad automatically receive a mail ballot for every national election. In the US, a registered voter stays on the rolls until they move. Albanians abroad deserve the same: register once, and your right continues.

Diaspora voters aren't asking for privileges. They're asking for the same right every Albanian has.

Sign now.

Sources

  • KQZ 2025 election data
  • INSTAT 2023 Census
  • Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs consular information

What we are asking for

  1. Accept expired documents

    Any biometric Albanian passport or ID card is accepted for diaspora registration, regardless of its expiration date.

  2. Permanent registration

    Diaspora voters register once and stay on the list for future elections, with no need to register again.

See the organizations that have co signed this proposal.

A permanent right, not an exception

Albanian citizens living abroad should be able to register and vote with an expired Albanian passport or ID card. We also ask for registration to vote from abroad to take place once and remain valid for future elections.

In 2025, the government allowed expired documents through a special measure for that election. We ask Parliament to include both this option and permanent diaspora registration in the Electoral Code before the 2029 election.

Proposed draft for discussion, not an adopted legal provision. Both clauses require legal review before submission as an amendment.

1. Identification with expired documents For the purpose of registering and exercising the right to vote from outside the territory of the Republic of Albania, Albanian citizens may also identify themselves using an Albanian passport or identity card whose period of validity has expired. The expiry of a document shall not be grounds for refusing registration or voting where identity and citizenship are verified under procedures established by the Central Election Commission.

2. Permanent registration to vote from abroad Albanian citizens residing outside the territory of the Republic of Albania shall register once to vote from abroad. Registration shall be retained for future elections, without requiring a new registration application for each election. Before each election, the voter shall confirm their address abroad through a simple online procedure established by the Central Election Commission; address confirmation shall not constitute a new registration. Registration to vote from abroad shall be removed automatically when the voter's death is recorded in the National Civil Registry or when it is verified that the voter has returned to live in Albania. The Central Election Commission shall establish procedures for address confirmation and updating registrations in cooperation with the civil registry authorities.

This draft does not change current law. Signing the petition is neither voter registration nor address confirmation for an election.

Secure access, not just easier access

Our proposal opens the door to voters with expired documents and strengthens protection against abuse at the same time. These are the safeguards we ask to be written into law:

  1. Biometric documents

    Any biometric Albanian passport or ID card is accepted for diaspora registration, regardless of its expiration date, because the state already holds the holder's verified photo and fingerprints.

  2. Civil registry check

    Every registration is checked against death records in the National Civil Registry before approval.

  3. Proof of residence abroad

    Applicants provide proof of residence outside Albania, such as a residence permit, a foreign ID, or a utility bill.

  4. Face verification

    Faces are matched against the most recent photo in the Civil Registry, and every manual review is logged and open to party observers.

  5. Delivery to the voter only

    Ballots are sent only to the verified address abroad and handed only to the voter.

  6. Full transparency

    The Central Election Commission publishes anonymized registration statistics by county, country, and document status, so any anomaly is spotted immediately.

  7. Confirmation before each election

    Before each election, registered voters confirm their address in one simple online step, and registrations are removed automatically when the civil registry records a death or the voter moves back to Albania.

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