The end of the begged vote opens the door to a million votes that can decide governments from abroad

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Susana Martinez has lived in Washington D.C. for three decades. She is a biomedical researcher for the U.S. government and is 63 years old. His Madrid origin has allowed him to vote in the 2023 regional elections. Since he has been on American soil, he has struggled with the difficulty of participating in most elections, including general elections. Especially at the time when he lived with the begged vote, between 2011 and 2022. A period of unknowns in which he was sometimes able to exercise his

"If the mail worked well and you were lucky, the ballots arrived on time." To reflect that obvious disorganization, he gives as an example the last elections: "The ballots arrived a week later."

Of the present elections, Susana emphasizes that she is very aware of the electoral role of Spaniards abroad, since she is also part of the

"We are hopeful that if we get to vote now, politicians can listen to us."

9,000 kilometers south of the United States stands another important place of national emigration,

. There it is

, Asturian by birth and resident in Buenos Aires, who has been based in the South American country for more than seven decades. Now retired, and 84 years old, he claims to have voted in all elections, even with a begged vote, which he considers "very impractical for voters and candidates" because "people did not exercise it." The elections of this Sunday will not be for less, because he confirms, with a jubilant leave in his tone of voice, that he has returned to vote.

Bernardo Hortal in his home office in Buenos Aires (Argentina).

THE WORLD

Those of Susana and Bernardo are two of the more than one million voices that have taken the floor only in the regional elections, since they had to deliver their vote last Thursday.

concretely. 5.7% of the people who will be able to vote on 28-M, whose total rises to 18,328,360.

Asturias

where the percentage rises above 12%,

(9,1%),

(8%) and

(7.2%) are the places where expats will have the greatest choice. Conversely, where the figure is lowest is in

and

, which reflect 3.2% and 2.3% respectively.

WHERE THEY VOTE FROM

The expatriates with the possibility to decide reside, in a majority way, in countries of America, with Argentina at the head. In fact, that's where just over 11%,

, could determine the future of a region despite being separated by a massive distance. In this continent they also prevail as preferred territories

or

, places where expatriates range between 9 and 7% of the total.

Not so far from Spain, and being the country in Europe that welcomes more compatriots, it is located

There live 9.9% of Spaniards who have already voted from abroad. In Europe it is followed by the

, which welcomes 6.4% of expatriate voters, and

, with 5.7% and more than 60,000 voters with decision-making power.

THOSE NOT BORN IN SPAIN

To this is added a factor of relevance. As reflected in the INE data, many of the Spaniards residing abroad were not born in Spain. Although there is no specific data that specifies how many will be able to vote, one that comes close reflects that almost seven out of 10 registered in the PERE (Register of Spaniards residing abroad) were born in another country.

One of them is

, a first-generation Argentine who defends the role of his vote against those who can discriminate against him, expressing that "in the Canary Islands I still have five of my six uncles and 26 first cousins." In line with his argumentation, he says that "we feel part of the takeoff and the Spain of the present. Emigrants, our fathers, for decades sent fortunes when you couldn't even eat." The argument he uses to validate his electoral connection with the country is made by his heart: "When we talk about Spain, we talk about the Motherland, and that's how we feel it."

Gustavo Acosta in the Town Hall of Puerto de la Cruz (Canary Islands).

THE WORLD

KEY IN DISPUTED CCAA

The

Elimination of the requested vote

On October 3, he discovered a new niche for regional candidates. Those who rush to govern the regions where expatriates will have greater power are mobilizing the most. As an example, the recent visit to Argentina, Mexico and Chile of the candidate

to the presidency of Asturias,

, who traveled last April with the intention of capturing votes in the first, second and seventh country where more Asturian emigrants are registered respectively.

The current president of

, the socialist

Maria Chivite

, also travelled to Argentina. And it is that these electoral journeys are understood taking into account the polls. In both autonomies, scenarios are glimpsed where a few votes could decide the governments.

And it is that this vote from abroad, has significant precedents. In the 2012 Asturian elections, the

PSOE

led by

him

snatched a seat

to the

of

, which allowed Fernández to be invested as regional president. In 2019, the external vote also allowed

Revilla

retain his seat 15.

Data

12.8% EXTERNAL SUFFRAGE

The percentage of Asturians living abroad who can vote in regional elections is the highest among the communities that vote today.

2012 DECISIVE SEAT

That year, Javier Fernández (PSOE) managed to snatch a deputy to Foro Asturias from the vote abroad that allowed him to be president.

117,240 VOTES IN ARGENTINA

It is the Spaniards residing in Argentina who have the possibility of electing their next regional president. The South American country welcomes the most expats.

69.6% THOSE BORN ABROAD

According to the PERE (Register of Spaniards Residing Abroad), almost 7 out of 10 Spaniards residing outside their country of nationality were not born in it.