When I first moved to Brussels in January of this year, I immediately noticed two things: that the winter was significantly colder than that of Southern Spain, and the European Parliament elections were happening soon.
All around the city hang big size posters and signs reminding people to vote at the elections between the 6th and the 9th of June.
And despite being constantly exposed to these reminders, May arrived before I had the time to realise the weather was getting warmer and the days longer. Before I knew it, the time to register as “temporarily absent resident” had passed, and with it my chance to send my vote via a registered post.
In other countries, such as France, citizens in my situation still have the chance to vote electronically or by proxy. This is not the case for Spain, so I had one option left if I wanted to participate in the elections: to go back and vote in person.
Going back home was therefore less of a decision than a last resort to be able to use my vote, but I was happy I still had a way to do it. I booked my flights and prepared myself for what would be both an intense but sweet weekend.
The preparations included triple checking the date, time and location of the voting to make sure I would be able to make it after going all the way to Spain, but also (and more importantly) educating myself on the different parties and candidates I could vote for. For the latter, I found online resources like Palumba or EUANDI very useful.
Now all there’s left to do is pack my bags and start the journey! Come along and stay tuned for a second article where I will talk about my trip home and the voting experience.
