Foreign residents to vote in 2007

Joan Collins AROUND 100'000 EU citizens and others born outside the EU will be able to vote, or be elected, in the next municipal elections. In fact, some 50'000 (those who have got Spanish citizenship or have the right to apply for it this year) will be able to vote in autonomous region elections. This is a group which forms 10 percent of the Balearic electorate. So, in first place are some 54'072 EU citizens and Norwegians more than 19 years old who have the right to vote in municipal elections. In second place are people born abroad who are more than 19 years old and hold a Spanish passport. According to the INE (National Statistics Institute), 21'478 citizens fell into this category a year ago. In third place are foreigners who this year will have the right to apply for Spanish citizenship. Among these are 22'692 South Americans who have resided legally in the Balearics since December 2004 and who, on completing two years of possessing legal papers, this year will be able to apply for a passport. In fourth place are foreigners from other countries historically linked with Spain, such as the Philippines, Guinea, Portugal and Andorra who, on an equal footing with the South Americans, have the right to a passport if they have legally resided in Spain for a minimum of two years. In total, with South Americans and those from these other countries, there are 23'718 citizens who, before the next elections in May 2007, will have resided in Spain for the two years required to obtain Spanish citizenship. In addition, it could be that this year other foreigners will be given Spanish passports. This would be the case for those who have married a Spanish man or woman before 2004, and anyone who this year completes 10 years of legal residence in Spain. Also, these numbers could vary, and certainly be higher, with the arrival of those who have recently arrived in Spain who have obtained their Spanish passport in another autonomous region or who have legally resided in Spain outside the Balearics and will soon be able to obtain citizenship. Lastly, there are 713 foreigners who are more than 19 years old born in Spain who do not have a passport but could apply for one.