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Members of the European Parliament for France are chosen proportionally, according to the votes received by each list of candidates, provided that the list receives more than 5% of the votes.

The expenses of the campaign are reimbursed for lists above 3%, but even this seems unlikely.

The list closest to my ideas has zero chance of making it past the 5% mark. Should I cast my vote on them, would it make any impact on the final result?

Or in other words, is there any difference between a list receiving 0.1% of the votes and 4.99% ?

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  • Yes, I have clarified in the question
    – Maxime
    Apr 4, 2019 at 17:41
  • There might be a difference for the next election: if a party gets 0.1% it might simply dissolve, if it gets 1% it might try the next election. Of course that also depends on the resolve of the leaders. Even a result of 1% might also seems an extraordinary success for some people that did not vote for that party this time, but might join the party or vote for it next time.
    – gabriele
    Apr 4, 2019 at 18:02

1 Answer 1

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  • Your vote may influence if other parties pass the 3% or 5% threshold. If you feel strong opposition to another small party, or if you have sympathy for a second preference, your vote might influence their outcome.
  • Your vote will be counted towards total voter participation statistics. You express an interest in the European elections even if your party will not win. This affects the political climate after the election, even if your contribution is tiny.
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  • Although my dilemma is to whether to cast a 'useful' vote, or a 'conviction' vote rather than abstain or not, I think it is a good answer to a reader that may be indecisive on this point.
    – Maxime
    Apr 4, 2019 at 18:37
  • Even a 'conviction' vote, as you put it, can be helpful. Say you believe in a tiny party and you believe in the EU. By voting for it, you demonstrate that the French are pro-EU.
    – o.m.
    Apr 5, 2019 at 4:01

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