Promoting civic participation in migrant communities

My City, My Vote (La Meva Cituat, El Meu Vot)

Barcelona, Spain

The Action

“My City, My Vote” (La Meva Cituat, El Meu Vot) was a voter registration initiative for eligible migrants conducted in Barcelona, Spain from October 2018 to January 2019 in advance of that year’s municipal election registration deadline. The aim of the campaign, led by the Barcelona City Council and the European Union, was to promote democratic participation and a sense of belonging within migrant communities.

Democracy Challenge

A city that takes action broadly representative of all its people is more democratic. In Spain, non-citizens from some countries are eligible to vote in local elections. But in Barcelona's 2015 municipal elections, only 19 percent of the approximately 105,000 foreign residents legally entitled to vote were registered to do so. Spanish citizens of voting age are automatically added to the country’s voter rolls, while migrants eligible to vote must first register. This extra hurdle contributes to low electoral participation among migrants.

How It Works & How They Did It

In 2015, Barcelona municipal officials determined that lack of awareness around the registration process contributed to low migrant voter participation. “My City, My Vote” sought to raise awareness around the electoral process and engage Barcelona's largest voting-eligible communities. The program drove registration efforts through a multi-faceted, multilingual approach with four components:

  1. Easy Eligibility Check. Barcelona created a user-friendly website page, Can I Register on the Electoral Roll, for non-citizen residents to determine their eligibility to vote. Those who could were directed to another page explaining the online registration process.
  2. Direct Outreach. Eligible residents received letters from the city in their native languages encouraging them to vote, with information on the process and required materials for registration.
  3. Community Outreach. The city collaborated with community associations, consulates, spiritual organizations, and other relevant groups, providing them with personalized presentations to promote voter registration in their communities and networks.
  4. Social Media. Through a personalized campaign, the city targeted residents through social media, using informational videos that were produced in eight different languages.
Censa't. La meva ciutat, el meu vot

How It’s Going?

The EU, which contributed funds toward “My City, My Vote”, hoped that Barcelona could serve as a blueprint for other cities seeking to bolster electoral participation and migrant voter registration. Barcelona’s city council reported that migrant registration in 2019, after the initiative concluded, was 50% higher than it had been in 2015. Migrant registration across Spain remained relatively unchanged, with a 0.5% increase over the same period.

As a result of its success, the My City, My Vote campaign will be replicated for the 2023 municipal elections under a new name, “If you live in Barcelona, you decide in Barcelona” (Si vius a Barcelona, decideixes a Barcelona). To encourage voter registration for this race and build on the initiative’s previous success, Barcelona has simplified the registration process through the removal of the requirement from national authorities for eligible residents to provide a five-year certificate of residence.

Considerations

  • Build trust. Invest in an extensive network of community groups early so that they can assist in outreach efforts.
  • Target audience. Not all migrants are qualified to vote in Barcelona’s elections. It was therefore important for the city to strategically target eligible residents without alienating those who were not eligible.
  • Make it easy. Provide allies with ready-to-use materials, such as newsletters, emails, and other digital content to simplify their efforts.
  • Gather insights. Collect data and feedback during outreach efforts to help create narratives supporting further voter enfranchisement.

Point of Contact

Anabel Rodriguez Basanta

Director of Citizens Rights

[email protected]

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