Spain's Supreme Court faces deadline on 'grandchildren law' voters before Nov 29 election

Spain's Supreme Court must decide within days whether to maintain a September order suspending voting rights for citizens naturalised under the 'grandchildren law' without documented proof of exile. The snap general election called for November 29 has compressed the timeline, making the provisional measure a potential effective disenfranchisement.

The State Attorney's Office warned the court that reviewing nearly 170,000 individual files before the election is materially impossible. The electoral census closed on August 1, before the court's September 10 order, and the system cannot distinguish which overseas voters acquired citizenship under the contested provision.

“Either all Spaniards registered in the CERA are suspended — since the data held there are globally those of Spaniards without any distinction — or none are suspended, because it is materially impossible to distinguish some from others in the extremely short time available.”

Iustitia Europa and Vox, the plaintiffs who obtained the suspension, now demand the court enforce it for the November vote. Iustitia Europa went further on Friday, requesting the suspension of the election itself to guarantee compliance with the court order.

The Public Prosecutor's Office has sided with the government, asking the court to lift the suspension. Prosecutors cite 'serious difficulties' in executing the measure after the election was called and note that the 163,020 affected citizens have not been notified or given a chance to defend their rights.

The court gave parties an 'unextendable' two-day deadline on Tuesday to submit arguments. A ruling is expected as early as this weekend, determining whether the contested voters can participate in the November 29 election.