On February 1, 2020, the United Kingdom moved beyond the European Union after a referendum and months of tense negotiations. The consequences of that departure ripple into elections, influencing outcomes far from home. In the upcoming municipal elections, millions of voters across the UK and Europe will shape local leadership, including hundreds of thousands in the Valencian Community and the province of Alicante.
Overseas residents—especially UK residents who travel, work, or study in Spain—represent a significant portion of voters in many Alicante municipalities. In several towns, expatriates can account for as much as 46% of the total electorate.
In places with a long history of immigrant populations, such as L’Alfàs del Pi, Teulada, or Xàbia, this demographic weight pushes parties to adopt concrete measures for foreign residents and to create political formations aimed at addressing their specific needs.
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As election time approaches, the climate can change quickly. The municipal festivities in two weeks face a potential administrative hurdle for citizens who arrived from the UK after Brexit. The ability of non-national residents to participate in local elections depends on their registration in a dedicated electoral roll. Long-term residents normally register once, but UK citizens must re-register to be counted in the non-EU constituency after Brexit.
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From December 2022 through mid-January, many foreign nationals who intend to vote or have voted previously faced uncertainty about participation. This has left some of them outside the choices available to 28M. In Alicante province, data from the 2019 elections show 64,836 people born outside Spain among more than 388,000 registered voters, roughly 16.5 percent. Teulada emerges as the town with the largest foreign population in voting terms, representing about 46% of its electorate; Xàbia follows with 44%; Calpe with 36%; and L’Alfàs del Pi around 24%.
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This evolving landscape has pushed parties to weave the demands of international residents into their platforms. In L’Alfàs del Pi, for example, local politicians emphasize the creation of a dedicated department to serve the international community and to channel information of interest. Regular collaboration with established expatriate groups — including Norwegians and Britons — keeps residents actively involved and helps bridge gaps with local governance.
Another example is the ongoing effort to provide continuous support, including practical documentation assistance and information dissemination. The aim is to help foreign citizens participate meaningfully in municipal life and to foster closer ties with local authorities.
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In Torrevieja, a city known for its openness to foreign nationals, political parties highlight the potential impact of international votes on council composition. Brexit has not only affected the electorate but also the demographic makeup, as many Britons have left their residence while others remain significant in the town due to ongoing migration patterns related to the war in neighboring regions.
Main parties have long promoted the idea of offering dedicated services for international residents, including specialized guidance offices and documentation support. Efforts by the governing bloc include annual free Spanish language courses designed to assist foreigners and to facilitate pathways to citizenship. Citizens themselves celebrate the principle of inclusive participation, supporting the right of foreign residents to delegate and be elected, while some commentators describe these shifts as reflecting liberal and progressive instincts widely observed in local politics.
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In loyalty-driven discourse, some parties boast of winning more votes from abroad and point to candidates of foreign origin on their lists, especially in the Marina Alta and L’Alacantí regions. Proponents argue that the aggregation of diverse ecological, social, and cultural affiliations strengthens the appeal of a citizen-friendly model that resonates with a broader electorate.
Smaller parties emphasize the importance of foreign votes and stress that support for non-Spanish residents extends beyond European origins to include people from the Americas and other regions. They advocate textual programs in multiple languages, including Spanish and English, to acknowledge the multilingual reality of the area. Others propose reviewing legal frameworks and modernizing administrative and certification procedures to better reflect the new electoral realities facing residents who hold rights in Spain but come from abroad.
Across the spectrum, commentators note that the evolving status of Brexit-related voters highlights the need for clear policies that address residency, voting rights, and civic participation in a changing demographic landscape.