Benissa is encouraging residents to register on the council’s register with a campaign in six languages

 

© Benissa Town Hall

OVFC’s assessment

This initiative by Benissa Town Council is very welcome. In Benitatxell, unfortunately, the Town Council shows no interest in carrying out campaigns to update the municipal register or the electoral roll, despite being aware of the low number of unregistered foreign residents, particularly on the electoral roll. OVFC has repeatedly called for campaigns of this kind to be carried out, but has received no response. It is a democratic anomaly not to encourage registration on the electoral roll and not to promote public participation.

The vast majority of unregistered foreign residents live in Cumbre del Sol from which most of the council’s revenue is obtained and where investment and spending is lowest. This socio-economic injustice will not change until foreign residents register.

The next local elections are scheduled for May 2027. It’s time to teach the Council a lesson in civic participation and to exercise our rights. Let´s register on the municipal register and the electoral roll. 

Here you’ll find the steps to do it:

• CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE FOREIGN RESIDENTS IN BENITATXELL TO REGISTER ON THE ELECTORAL ROLL AHEAD OF THE 2027 LOCAL ELECTIONS
• OVFC VOTER REGISTRATION CAMPAIGN
• HOW TO EXERCISE THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN SPAIN
• REGISTERING AT THE TOWN HALL “PADRÓN”

Benissa is encouraging residents to register on the council’s register with a campaign in six languages

Benissa Town Council, through the Department of Municipal Registration, has launched the campaign ‘Visc a Benissa i clar que m’empadrone’, an initiative aimed at encouraging residents to register and update their details with the council. As part of this initiative, information leaflets have been produced in six languages — Valencian, Spanish, English, German, French and Dutch — to make the information more accessible to the entire population, particularly international residents living within the municipal boundarie

The campaign provides information on who needs to register or update their details: people moving to live in Benissa, those changing their address within the municipality, or those whose personal details have changed, as well as information on deregistration due to moving abroad.

It also sets out the specific regulations for foreign nationals. Non-EU nationals without permanent residence permits must renew their registration every two years, whilst EU nationals with permanent residence must confirm their details every five years.

Improvement and scope of public services

This initiative forms part of the local authority’s strategy to improve the quality of public services, as having an up-to-date register enables key resources such as healthcare, education, transport and social services to be allocated appropriately.

The Councillor for the Municipal Register, Celia Ausias, pointed out that “registering on the municipal register is not only a quick and simple procedure, but also a right and a responsibility that contributes to the development and well-being of the whole municipality”. For his part, the mayor of Benissa, Arturo Poquet, emphasised that “thanks to the register, we can find out how many people live in Benissa, and this is key to better planning of all public services”.

Source: Marina Plaza

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