More than 160,000 Spaniards abroad may be barred from voting

More than 160,000 Spanish citizens living abroad, including in Brazil, may be affected by a court order suspending some people’s right to vote in the Nov.

29 parliamentary election.

The order applies to some people who gained Spanish nationality under the 2022 Law of Democratic Memory, widely known as the Law of Grandchildren.

The law was intended to address the exile of Spaniards during the Civil War and Franco dictatorship by allowing their descendants to obtain citizenship.

The Supreme Court issued the temporary suspension on Sept.

8 while it considers challenges by the far-right parties Vox and Iustitia Europa to how the law was applied.

The election was initially expected in 2027, but Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called it after dissolving Parliament on Oct.

5, following failed efforts to pass two housing decrees.

The early election has raised concerns about whether the suspension can be carried out in time and whether affected citizens had a fair chance to challenge it.

The public prosecutor’s office and the state attorney’s office have asked the court to review the suspension, which remains temporary while the case is pending.