The Catalan government has decided to "restart" the process towards letting Catalans residing abroad vote electronically. This Tuesday, it approved the draft bill to regulate the issue, foreign minister Ernest Maragall has announced.
The minister emphasised the fact that the bill is bringing back an initiative started by the previous executive, interrupted by the suspension of self-government with the application of article 155 of the Spanish Constitution. "It's being picked up in exactly the same conditions", Maragall said, noting that the text has already got a report from the council of statutory guarantees.
This voting option will be available for elections to the Catalan Parliament and other electoral processes and popular consultations organised by the Catalan government. To move forward it will need a supermajority in the Parliament. The minister expressed confidence that the project will go ahead given the benefits of guaranteeing the vote to those Catalans who live abroad.
Maragall said that as soon as the Parliament passes the bill, voters will be able to take advantage of it.
The process as set out by the bill concerns people on the CERA (Electoral Census of Absent Residents). To vote, they will receive the necessary credentials to their email address and mobile phone. They will have to attach an image of their ID to their ballot. All steps of this process will be encrypted.