Greeks vote on their country's future and maybe the future face of Europe

Gazzetta team 5 Ιουλίου 2015 - 15:09

Greeks have been heading to the polls since 7:00 on a bright and sunny Sunday morning to cast their vote in a historic referendum that will decide their country's future and possibly the nature of the European Union in the years to come.

They are asked to vote 'yes' or 'no' to indicate whether they approve of an austerity programme presented by the country's lenders in late June in order to continue Greece's financial assistance programme, which expired on June 30, and which lenders say is no longer on the table.

With banks closed, capital controls in place and warnings from EU officials that they are really voting about whether they will stay or exit the eurozone, Greeks face an almost impossible choice. Based on the last opinion polls published on Friday, before a pre-voting moratorium, the difference between the 'yes' and 'no' camps was too close to call.

The process was unfolding smoothly and without problems on Sunday morning in polling stations throughout the country, while President of the Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos appealed to Greeks to remain united regardless of the outcome of Sunday's vote.

Voting will continue until 19:00 on Sunday evening, when polling stations close, and a first 'safe' estimate of the result is expected roughly two hours later.

Voters will be given two ballots: One with the question of the referendum and a second one which will be blank. Citizens must place a cross in the box beneath their preferred response, or to the left or right of their response. For the referendum to be valid, at least 40 pct of the electoral body must participate.

Because of the tight time limits of the referendum, expatriates will not be able to vote, while 108,371 18-year-olds will be voting for the first time.

Greeks are expected to vote in the same polling stations as they did in January’s national elections. To find the exact location, citizens can click on the Interior ministry’s webpage (www.ypes.gr) and then click on the “Elections” option. Voters can also call the ministry at 213 1361500 until the ballots close. =

To facilitate transport, tolls in major national highways will be free, while state railway company TRAINOSE, intercity buses and Aegean Airways are offering reduced ticket prices.