# Spain suspends new 'law of grandchildren' voters

10 September 2026 at 16:12

> The Supreme Court has halted new census registrations for descendants of exiles, citing risks to electoral transparency and objectivity.

Spain's Supreme Court has issued two orders to provisionally suspend the registration of new nationals in the Census of Absentee Residents (CERA) under the 'law of grandchildren'. The decision follows requests for suspension by Iustitia Europa and Vox.

The court warned that an extraordinary increase in voters poses a serious danger to electoral transparency. Between the 2023 general elections and July 2026, the census grew by 408,262 voters. Judges noted a risk of alteration due to this constant rise.

The 'law of grandchildren' targets descendants of Spaniards exiled during the Franco regime. While the ruling includes a dissenting opinion, the majority found the exceptional increase threatens objectivity. This suspension halts new registrations for now.


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