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As Andalucía prepares for its regional elections on Sunday May 17, new figures highlight just how important both overseas voters and first-time participants could be in shaping the result. The vote, which was formally called earlier this month, will see more than 6.8 million people eligible to take part across the region.

 

One of the most striking aspects is the scale of the overseas vote. A total of 302,005 Andalusians living abroad across 157 countries will be able to cast their ballots, making postal voting a significant factor in the final outcome.

 

Argentina leads with 68,782 registered voters, followed by France and Germany, while sizeable communities are also found in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. At the other end of the scale, the contrast is stark, with some countries, including Fiji and Yemen, having just one registered Andalusian voter each.

 

Within Spain, Málaga stands out as the province with the highest number of residents abroad eligible to vote, with 70,764, followed by Granada and Almería.

 

At the same time, a significant number of voters will be heading to the polls for the very first time. In total, 368,853 people are newly eligible to vote in these regional elections, representing 5.41% of the electorate.

 

Seville leads the way with 91,003 first-time voters, followed by Málaga with 69,299 and Cádiz with 58,329. The remaining provinces also show notable increases, reflecting a steady expansion of the electorate since the last regional vote.

 

These figures vary depending on the comparison used. Against the general election of July 23, 2023, there are 269,260 new voters, while compared to the European elections of June 9, 2024, the increase is smaller at 186,090.

 

Taken together, the data paints a picture of an election that is both growing in size and becoming more geographically dispersed. The total electorate now stands at 6,812,861 people, a rise of 2.5% compared to the previous regional elections held on June 19, 2022.

 

While much of the focus will remain on campaigning within Andalucía itself, these numbers underline how votes cast far beyond Spain’s borders, along with those of younger or newly registered voters, could quietly play a decisive role.

 

 

Image: digital representation