Armenia considers introducing residency requirement for voters

ArmInfo.  Armenia is currently debating the introduction of a residency requirement (a  "residency census") for participation in national elections. On July  2, during an extraordinary session, the National Assembly began the  first-reading debate on proposed amendments to the Electoral Code. 

The bill, authored by deputies from the ruling "Civil Contract"  faction, proposes that the right to vote in national elections and  referendums be granted not only based on citizenship but also on a  minimum period of residency in the country. According to one of the  authors of the initiative, According to co-author Alkhas Ghazaryan,  the residency requirement is intended to demonstrate a citizen's  tangible connection to the state—economically (e.g., through tax  payments), socially, and politically. The initiative proposes an  exemption for civil servants stationed abroad for official duties.

It is worth noting  that the authors (Alkhas Ghazaryan, Arusyak  Manavazyan, Hasmik Hakobyan, and Arusyak Julhakyan) initially  proposed a requirement of at least 183 days of residency within the  past year.  In turn, Arpine Sargsyan, Deputy Minister of Internal  Affairs, proposed an alternative: residency of at least 365 days  within the last two years. This approach aims to protect the voting  rights of citizens working abroad on long-term labor contracts. The  period would be calculated starting 48 days before regular elections  or 28 days before snap elections. The bill's authors have accepted  these adjustments.

  The proposal has sparked significant debate between the ruling party  and the opposition. Artsvik Minasyan, secretary of the opposition  "Armenia" faction, argued against the bill, stating it restricts  citizens' voting rights and threatening to challenge it in the  Constitutional Court if passed. Citing National Security Service  (NSS) data, Minasyan argued that there has been no significant influx  of citizens arriving specifically to participate in elections.  According to the NSS, from May 25 to June 20, 2025, 154,115 people  entered the republic with Armenian passports, including those with  dual citizenship, and 157,048 during the same period in 2026, an  increase of only 2,933. The number of people who left the country  during the same period in 2025 was 149,074, and in 2026, 152,078, an  increase of only 3,004. 

The parliamentarian stated that the faction opposes the bill,  believing that it restricts citizens' suffrage and, if adopted, will  appeal it to the Constitutional Court. In turn Babken Tunyan (Civil  Contract) presented data indicating a surge in arrivals from Russia  between May 1 and June 7, noting that the number of entries rose from  137,000 in 2025 to 172,000 in 2026.

Recall, ruling party representatives raised this issue immediately  before the parliamentary elections on June 7, claiming that Armenian  citizens were arriving in large numbers from abroad specifically to  participate in the vote. The bill was drafted after the elections.  Kristine Vardanyan, a member of parliament from the opposition bloc  "Armenia," questioned why the authorities decided to deprive citizens  of one of their fundamental rights without lifting a number of  obligations they have to the state. For example, the obligation to  serve in the army.