Voting already begins for Catalans abroad

The first ballots have already been cast in the upcoming Catalan elections, from Brussels. Those living abroad as permanent residents have begun voting at Spanish consulates, with volunteer observers present. Thais Ribera, one of the volunteers, watched over the election process for a two-hour shift. He and his fellow volunteers, Ribera said, were there to “make sure there are no tricks during the process.”

Dozens of Catalans have already turned up to vote today, some wearing yellow in support for the political prisoners held in Madrid. Among them, voter Èrica Casajoana said that “luckily” her ballots were sent to her in time; indeed, ballots not arriving in time or at all was a much-discussed issue in the 2015 election.

All votes from abroad are “crucial”

Casajoana was not secretive about her choice. “Basically,” she explained, she had gone to vote so that the “legitimate president” could return, but she expressed that in her view, all votes from abroad are “crucial.” 

Meanwhile, Marc Estruga, a young man living in Flanders, explained that despite “the stack of paperwork” he voted because people “courageously faced” the events of police violence during the October 1 referendum vote, and also because there are still “politicians who are in jail and in exile.”

Not all voters revealed their choice; still, many have showed up and will likely continue to do so, in an election that has been framed as crucial for the future of both Catalonia and Spain.