Spanish descendants face voting restrictions due to court ruling

Two young women living in the United States, Sofía and Natali, may be unable to vote in the upcoming general elections due to a precautionary suspension by the Supreme Court. The suspension affects certain Spaniards living abroad who obtained citizenship through the ‘Ley de Memoria Democrática’ (Democratic Memory Law).

The women are the great-grandchildren of José Aliseda Olivares, a Republican deputy from Badajoz who went into exile in Mexico following the Spanish Civil War. Their father, Ernest Aliseda, a judge residing in Texas, obtained Spanish nationality in 2021. The daughters acquired their citizenship via the first clause of the eighth additional provision of the Democratic Memory Law, which is the specific pathway currently impacted by the court's decision.

The family is seeking to utilize exceptions provided by the high court, citing historical documentation that proves the political exile of both the great-grandfather and the father. As of now, the legal status of their ability to exercise their right to vote remains unresolved.