Más Madrid and the myth of the immigrant vote
Claims of electoral manipulation by Más Madrid, a Spanish regional party, run into the law: non-EU immigrants cannot vote in local elections even if they register as residents.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Más Madrid and the myth of the immigrant vote
Claims that Más Madrid is planning a mass registration of immigrants to rig elections run into a basic legal wall: non-EU foreign nationals cannot vote in local elections no matter how many of them register as residents. The law is clear, and the debate reveals more ignorance than scandal.
The requirements to vote in local elections
To cast a ballot in a local election you must meet four conditions: be over 18, be Spanish or a citizen of the European Union, be registered as a resident in the relevant municipality, and not be disqualified by a court ruling. Immigrants in an irregular situation or with nationality from non-EU countries are therefore excluded. The idea that an entire group could be "illegally registered" to vote only holds up if you ignore this first filter.
The Grandchildren Law: another debate, same mistake
The so-called "grandchildren law" — which grants Spanish nationality to descendants of Spaniards — has been waved around as proof of an alleged demographic "coup d'état". People talk of two and a half million potential new voters. But that measure does not allow immigrants with no family ties to Spain to vote; it regulates a pre-existing right for a very specific group. Mixing the two shows, at the very least, a superficial analysis.
What some present as a conspiracy actually has a more prosaic explanation: the mistake of attributing to a party intentions that the law already makes impossible. The focus should be on whether integration policies are adequate, not on theories that the rules themselves debunk.
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Claims that Más Madrid is planning a mass registration of immigrants to rig elections run into a basic legal wall: non-EU foreign nationals cannot vote in local elections no matter how many of them register as residents. The law is clear, and the debate reveals more ignorance than scandal.
The requirements to vote in local elections
To cast a ballot in a local election you must meet four conditions: be over 18, be Spanish or a citizen of the European Union, be registered as a resident in the relevant municipality, and not be disqualified by a court ruling. Immigrants in an irregular situation or with nationality from non-EU countries are therefore excluded. The idea that an entire group could be "illegally registered" to vote only holds up if you ignore this first filter.
The Grandchildren Law: another debate, same mistake
The so-called "grandchildren law" — which grants Spanish nationality to descendants of Spaniards — has been waved around as proof of an alleged demographic "coup d'état". People talk of two and a half million potential new voters. But that measure does not allow immigrants with no family ties to Spain to vote; it regulates a pre-existing right for a very specific group. Mixing the two shows, at the very least, a superficial analysis.
What some present as a conspiracy actually has a more prosaic explanation: the mistake of attributing to a party intentions that the law already makes impossible. The focus should be on whether integration policies are adequate, not on theories that the rules themselves debunk.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (23 replies).
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