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What it is

Spaniards living abroad will no longer have to request their ballot

BOE step 7 of 7 · Passed

It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 4 February 2021. Introduced by: Grupo Parlamentario Socialista Grupo Parlamentario Confederal de Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común.

Official title: Private member's bill for an Organic Law amending Organic Law 5/1985, of 19 June, on the General Electoral Regime, for the regulation of the exercise of the vote by Spaniards living abroad.

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000122· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. Until now, Spaniards living abroad had to request their ballot before each election, under very short deadlines. This caused a sharp drop in turnout, so that requirement is removed.
  2. The electoral census will automatically send to each voter's home abroad the envelopes, certificates, instructions and the list of centers where they can drop their ballot. They will also be able to download the ballots online.
  3. In-person voting at consulates can be done between the eighth and third day before election day, and mail-in ballots must reach the consular office no later than the second day before the election.
  4. To vote by mail, voters must include a photocopy of their passport or national ID card, or a consular registration certificate, as a stronger identification measure.
  5. Deadlines for counting ballots from abroad are extended: the general count moves from the third to the fifth day after the vote, and must finish no later than the eighth day after the election.
  6. In the following months the Government must prepare electronic delivery of election materials, review the census data of residents abroad, and regulate new centers for in-person voting.

Who it affects

  • Spaniards registered in the census of residents abroad: They will receive election materials at home without asking, and can vote in person or by mail with longer deadlines.
  • Spanish embassies and consular offices: They must keep ballot boxes, provide ballots and handle in-person and mail-in voting.
  • Electoral Boards (Juntas Electorales): They will count overseas ballots within a longer period, five days.
  • The Government: It must approve rules for electronic delivery, census review and new voting centers.

Words worth knowing

Voto rogado
A system where voters must request their ballot in advance before being allowed to vote; this law removes it.
Censo CERA
The list of Spaniards living abroad who are registered to vote from outside Spain.
Escrutinio
The counting of ballots to determine the results.
Valija diplomática
An official protected shipment used by embassies to send documents to Spain.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 7 of 7 steps. It reached BOE, and today it is passed.

  1. Introduced4 February 2021Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted9 February 2021The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendments5 March 2021Groups propose changes.
  4. Committee13 April 2021A committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenary25 May 2022All 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senate9 June 2022The Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOE21 September 2022It is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 15 official steps on a timeline
Mar 2021Jun 2021Sept 2021Dec 2021Mar 2022Jun 202211. 4 February 2021: Presentación22. 9 February 2021: Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales Publicación desde 09/02/2021 hasta 12/02/202133. 9 February 2021: Calificación44. 12 February 2021: Gobierno Contestación desde 12/02/2021 hasta 12/02/202155. 12 February 2021: Pleno Toma en consideración desde 12/02/2021 hasta 23/02/202166. 23 February 2021: Mesa del Congreso Acuerdo subsiguiente a la toma en consideración desde 23/02/2021 hasta 02/03/202177. 2 March 2021: Comisión Constitucional Publicación desde 02/03/2021 hasta 05/03/202188. 5 March 2021: Comisión Constitucional Enmiendas desde 05/03/2021 hasta 21/04/202299. 25 March 2021: Comisión Constitucional Mesa - Calificación desde 25/03/2021 hasta 13/04/20211010. 13 April 2021: Comisión Constitucional Debate de totalidad desde 13/04/2021 hasta 22/04/20211111. 21 April 2022: Comisión Constitucional Informe desde 21/04/2022 hasta 18/05/20221212. 18 May 2022: Comisión Constitucional Dictamen desde 18/05/2022 hasta 25/05/20221313. 25 May 2022: Pleno Aprobación desde 25/05/2022 hasta 09/06/20221414. 9 June 2022: Senado desde 09/06/2022 hasta 21/09/20221515. 21 September 2022: Concluido - (Aprobado con modificaciones) desde 21/09/2022 hasta 18/10/2022

9 June 2022

How did the plenary vote?

More votes in favour 339 yes · 1 no · 2 abst.

Voted on: Overall vote on the Private member's Organic bill to reform Organic Law 5/1985, of 19 June, on the General Electoral Regime, to regulate the exercise of the vote by Spaniards living abroad, due to its organic nature.

This law had 17 votes; this is the latest with every deputy’s vote. See them all

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, vote 68 of sitting 186· updated 10 Nov

Each dot is a seat. Tap one, or use the arrow keys, to see who it is.

Your province

How did the deputies from your province vote?

And your senators: the Senate does not link its votes to this law in its open data, so we cannot put them side by side here.

Or see how most of each province voted
More details: how each group and each province voted

The groups

Who voted in favour and who against?

In favour, most of Euskal Herria Bildu, Republicano, Socialista, Vasco (EAJ-PNV), Mixto, Ciudadanos, Gcup-ec-gc, GPlu, Popular en el Congreso and VOX. 3 deputies voted differently from their group.

By province: in 52 most voted in favour; in 0, against.

Coloured by how most of each province’s deputies voted.

  • In favour: 52
  • Against: 0
Result by parliamentary group
GroupSeatsHow it voted
Euskal Herria Bildu5
5 in favour
Republicano13
12 in favour · 1 did not vote
Socialista120
119 in favour · 1 did not vote
Vasco (EAJ-PNV)6
6 in favour
Mixto11
11 in favour
Ciudadanos9
9 in favour
Gcup-ec-gc33
32 in favour · 1 did not vote
GPlu12
11 in favour · 1 abst.
Popular en el Congreso88
85 in favour · 1 abst. · 2 did not vote
VOX52
49 in favour · 1 against · 2 did not vote

What happens next

What happens now?

It is law, or will be once published in the BOE. It comes into force on the date its own text sets.

The same initiative in the other chamber:

Presented before in:

Published in the BOE: Organic Law 12/2022, of September 30, amending Organic Law 5/1985, of June 19, on the General Electoral Regime, to regulate the exercise of the vote by Spaniards living abroad.

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

Read the full method · Report an error