Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level

The Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level is a treaty of the Council of Europe, adopted in 1992. It grants foreigners the right to vote in local elections, provided that they fulfil the same legal requirements as apply to citizens and have been lawful and habitual residents in the State concerned for the five years preceding the elections. The convention came into force in 1997, after the fourth ratification. As of July 2015, the Convention has been ratified by nine member states. Four states have signed the convention, but not ratified it.[1]