Vote-rigging fears as Sánchez opens door to descendants' ballots

Vote-rigging antiestéticars as Sánchez opens door to descendants' ballots

The amendment to the Democratic Memory Law has reignited the debate over electoral fraud in Spain. An instruction signed by Óscar Puente's sister establishes that all Spaniards who left the country between 18 July 1936 and 31 December 1955 will be presumed to be exiles. This de facto removes the need to prove that status, potentially allowing mass voting by descendants with no ties to or residence in Spain. Critics see the measure as a form of electoral manipulation, expanding the electoral roll with people who have no real connection to the country.

Historical redress or manipulation of the electoral roll?

The original law, from October 2022, sought to recognise those who suffered persecution during the Civil War and the dictatorship. However, the subsequent instruction has been described by some as a "sieve" that opens the door for thousands of descendants to register on the electoral roll with hardly any requirements. The opposition argues it is a manoeuvre to add votes in a tight election. The Government maintains it is a historic expansion of rights. Meanwhile, in economic circles there are warnings about the cost of an election marked by suspicion of fraud.

Proposals for electoral reform

Faced with this situation, voices have emerged calling for in-depth electoral reform: abolishing postal voting (as France and Portugal did in 1978 because it was prone to fraud), raising the minimum voting age to 21, and setting a 5% threshold to win a seat. There is also talk of limiting the vote of those over 74. These proposals, though controversial, reflect distrust in the current system. For now, the debate remains open, with no consensus in sight.