Concerns Rise Over Inaccurate Voter Rolls in Marseille Ahead of Municipal Elections
Marseille, France is facing scrutiny as municipal elections approach, with reports surfacing of significant discrepancies in voter lists. The issue centers around an unusually high number of “supercentenarians”—individuals aged 110 or older—registered to vote, many of whom are, in fact, deceased. This has sparked concerns among candidates regarding potential voter fraud and the integrity of the electoral process. The situation highlights ongoing challenges in maintaining accurate voter rolls and the complexities of ensuring fair elections in a rapidly changing demographic landscape.
The irregularities were first brought to light by several candidates competing in the upcoming municipal elections. Franck Allisio, representing the Rassemblement National, reported the anomaly to the public prosecutor on March 10, 2026, citing Article 40 of the French penal code. Allisio expressed astonishment at the presence of 785 registered voters aged 100 or older in Marseille, a figure he believes is statistically improbable given demographic data. He wryly commented, “I know the Mediterranean diet is known for promoting longevity, but I didn’t realize we had the oldest person in the world here in Marseille.”
A 120-Year-Old Voter and Hundreds More
The most striking case involves a woman purportedly born on December 24, 1905, in Italy, who is currently listed on the electoral roll for the 11-12th arrondissement of Marseille. According to documents consulted by Agence France-Presse (AFP), this individual would be 120 years old. However, the vast majority of these supercentenarians are no longer living, some having passed away years ago. Martine Vassal, a candidate from the center-right, has called for a “full oversight” of the municipal election organization, warning of the possibility of “massive electoral fraud.” She expressed her concerns on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Je demande une mise sous tutelle immédiate de l’organisation des municipales face aux risques de fraudes électorales massives ! Des personnes décédées figurent encore sur les listes électorales à Marseille. C’est inacceptable ! 🗳️❌ #Marseille #Municipales2026
— Martine Vassal (@MartineVassal) March 11, 2026
Sébastien Delogu, a candidate representing La France Insoumise (LFI), has urged residents of Marseille to monitor polling stations during the elections. Sylvain Souvestre, the mayor of the 11-12th arrondissement, has also alerted the prefect to the issue, providing documentation of deceased individuals still appearing on the voter rolls.
The Role of the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE)
The Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (INSEE), France’s national statistics and economic studies institute, has investigated the matter. According to the INSEE, deaths are automatically reported to the Répertoire National d’Identification des Personnes Physiques (RNIPP), a national registry of individuals, and updates are then transferred to the Répertoire Électoral Unique (REU), the unified electoral register, within 48 hours. The system, established in 2019, is designed to ensure timely and accurate voter roll maintenance. Midilibre reports that INSEE confirmed the deaths of three voters flagged by the Marseille city hall, and their removal from the REU.
Despite the automated system, INSEE points to a potential issue with the software used by the municipality of Marseille to retrieve and process data from the REU. The institute maintains that the data is accurately updated in the national registry, suggesting the problem lies in the local implementation. The city of Marseille acknowledges that the supercentenarians have been on the lists since 2020, under the previous right-leaning administration, when they were already aged between 104 and 115 years old.
Marseille’s Proposed Solution and Ongoing Concerns
In response to the situation, the city of Marseille is considering automatically removing individuals over the age of 110 from the voter lists for future elections. This measure aims to proactively address the issue of deceased individuals remaining on the rolls. However, this solution does not address the underlying technical problem with the data transfer from the national registry. The city has assured the AFP that the three individuals initially flagged have been removed from the current lists, and that a copy of the lists provided to the AFP does not include their names.
The current oldest living person is Ethel Caterham of the United Kingdom, aged 116, according to the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) and the LongeviQuest database. This discrepancy between the reported age of the voter in Marseille and the confirmed age of the world’s oldest person further underscores the inaccuracies in the local voter rolls.
Implications for the Municipal Elections
The controversy surrounding the voter lists raises serious questions about the fairness and accuracy of the upcoming municipal elections in Marseille. While the INSEE maintains that the national registry is functioning correctly, the local implementation appears to be flawed, leading to the inclusion of deceased individuals and potentially undermining public trust in the electoral process. The situation highlights the importance of robust voter roll maintenance procedures and the need for effective oversight to ensure the integrity of democratic elections. The potential for electoral fraud, even if unintentional, remains a significant concern for candidates and voters alike.
As the elections draw nearer, all eyes will be on Marseille to see how this issue is resolved and whether the city can restore confidence in its electoral system. The next key development will be the official response from the prosecutor’s office following Franck Allisio’s report, and the implementation of any corrective measures by the city of Marseille before election day. Citizens are encouraged to stay informed about the situation and to participate actively in the electoral process.
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